# Self-Hosted Deployment

## **Overview**

**Ask Akto** is an AI-powered conversational assistant integrated into Akto's security platform that enables users to have real-time conversations about Agentic vulnerabilities, scan results, and security insights.

## Key Capabilities

* **Interactive Vulnerability Analysis**: Ask questions about scan results and vulnerabilities in natural language
* **Agentic and agentic AI security Guidance**: Get AI-powered remediation suggestions and security best practices
* **Scan Result Analysis**: Deep-dive into why scans passed/failed with AI assistance
* **Dashboard Metrics Discussion**: Analyse Agentic collections, endpoints, and risk scores
* **Conversation History**: Track and search through past security discussions
* **Multi-Conversation Support**: Maintain separate conversation threads for different contexts

## Pre-requisites

* Docker and Docker Compose installed
* Anthropic API Key
* Akto Agentic AI Security Dashboard running (self-hosted instance)

## Deployment Setup

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Create the Deployment Directory**

Create a directory that stores the Docker Compose configuration and environment files.

```
mkdir -p ~/akto-agentic-testing
cd ~/akto-agentic-testing
```

The directory acts as the working location for the deployment.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create Docker Compose File**

Create a `docker-compose.yml` file with the following configuration:

```yaml
version: '3.8'

services:
  agent-testing:
    container_name: agent-testing
    image: public.ecr.aws/aktosecurity/akto-agentic-testing:latest
    ports:
      - "5500:5500"
    env_file:
      - ./docker-agentic-testing-dashboard.env
    restart: always

  mcp-server:
    container_name: mcp-server
    image: public.ecr.aws/aktosecurity/akto-agentic-testing:mcp_latest
    ports:
      - "4000:4000"
    env_file:
      - ./docker-mcp-server.env
    restart: always
```

The Docker Compose configuration defines two services:

* **agent-testing** – runs the AI-driven Agentic engine.
* **mcp-server** – provides the MCP interface used by the AI agent.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create Environment Files**

Two environment files configure runtime behavior for the containers.

**Environment File for Agent Testing Service**

Create a file named: `docker-agentic-testing-dashboard.env`

```bash
# Anthropic API Configuration
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=<YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY>

# Node Environment
NODE_ENV=production

# Agent Testing Service Port
PORT=5500

# Enable Agentic Mode
AGENTIC_MODE=true

# MCP Server Connection
MCP_SERVER_URL=http://<YOUR_MCP_SERVER_HOST>:<YOUR_MCP_SERVER_PORT>
```

**Environment variables**

<table><thead><tr><th width="197.41796875">Variable</th><th>Purpose</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>ANTHROPIC_API_KEY</code></td><td>API key used for accessing Anthropic Claude models.</td></tr><tr><td><code>PORT</code></td><td>Port exposed by the agent-testing service. Default value: <code>5500</code>.</td></tr><tr><td><code>MCP_SERVER_URL</code></td><td>URL used by the agent-testing service to communicate with the MCP server.<br>Replace <code>&#x3C;YOUR_MCP_SERVER_HOST></code> and <code>&#x3C;YOUR_MCP_SERVER_PORT></code> with the MCP server host and port configured in the deployment environment.</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Environment File for MCP Server**

Create a file named: `docker-mcp-server.env`

```bash
# Dashboard Connection
AKTO_BASE_URL=http://<YOUR_AKTO_DASHBOARD_HOST>:<PORT>

# MCP Server Configuration
MCP_MODE=internal
MCP_API_KEY="abc"

# Debug Logging
DEBUG=true
```

**Environment variables**

<table><thead><tr><th width="160.5078125">Variable</th><th>Purpose</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>AKTO_BASE_URL</code></td><td>Base URL of the Akto Agentic AI Security Dashboard.<br>Replace <code>&#x3C;YOUR_AKTO_DASHBOARD_HOST></code> and <code>&#x3C;PORT></code> with the hostname and port configured in the on-prem deployment.</td></tr><tr><td><code>MCP_MODE</code></td><td>Deployment mode of the MCP server. Value <code>internal</code> is used for on-prem environments.</td></tr><tr><td><code>MCP_API_KEY</code></td><td>Authentication key used for MCP server access.</td></tr></tbody></table>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Start the Services**

```bash
# From the deployment directory
docker-compose up -d

# Verify services are running
docker-compose ps
```

Expected output:

```
NAME              STATUS        PORTS
agent-testing     Up ...        0.0.0.0:5500->5500/tcp
mcp-server        Up ...        0.0.0.0:4000->4000/tcp
```

{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Verify Connectivity**

You can verify that both services started successfully by checking the health endpoints.

**Agent Testing Service**

```bash
curl http://<AGENT_TESTING_HOST>:<AGENT_TESTING_PORT>/health
```

**MCP Server**

```bash
curl http://<MCP_SERVER_HOST>:<MCP_SERVER_PORT>/health
```

{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Usage

Once deployed, **Ask Akto** can be accessed through the Akto's Security Dashboard:

1. Navigate to your Akto dashboard
2. Access the **Ask Akto** feature section
3. Start conversing with the agent.

## Support

If you need help with the deployment:

* **Discord Community**: Join our community at [discord.gg/Wpc6xVME4s](https://discord.gg/Wpc6xVME4s)
* **Email Support**: Contact us at <support@akto.io>

Our team is available 24/7 to assist you with setup, troubleshooting, and best practices.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://ai-security-docs.akto.io/ask-akto/self-hosted-deployment.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.