Getting Started

MicroStax gives your team on-demand dev environments. Write a short YAML file describing your services, run one command, and get a fully isolated, production-like environment running on Kubernetes.

Once you're comfortable, you can layer on more powerful features: shared baselines, lightweight overlays, realistic test data, and AI-powered diagnostics.

What You Need

• Node.js 20+
• A running MicroStax API (or a managed account)
• A Blueprint file in YAML or JSON (we'll create one below)

Your First Environment

1. Validate your Blueprint

microstax env validate --file ./microstax.yaml

This catches mistakes before anything touches the cluster.

2. Create the environment

microstax env create --file ./microstax.yaml

MicroStax reads your Blueprint, creates an isolated Kubernetes namespace, and deploys your services.

3. Check status and get your URLs

microstax env list
microstax env get <env-id>
microstax env status <env-id>

4. Work with the running environment

microstax env logs <env-id>
microstax env traces <env-id>
microstax env share <env-id>

5. Stop, resume, or delete

microstax env stop <env-id>
microstax env resume <env-id>
microstax env delete <env-id>

What's Next? The Typical Team Workflow

Start with isolated environments

Use env create for a full environment when you need total independence. This is where most teams start.

Promote a stable baseline

Once you have an environment that "just works," promote it so the whole team can build on top of it:

microstax env promote <env-id>
microstax baseline list

Create lightweight overlays

Instead of cloning the entire stack, overlays deploy only the services you changed and connect everything else back to the baseline:

microstax overlay create --baseline <baseline-id> --file ./overlay.yaml
microstax overlay list --baseline <baseline-id>

Seed with realistic data

microstax env seed <env-id> --script ./examples/seed/dev.sql
microstax env snapshot create <env-id>

Diagnose problems fast

microstax env diagnose <env-id>
microstax env diffs <env-id>
microstax env cost <env-id>

Core Concepts

Concept	What it means
Environment	A running workspace for your app — isolated in its own Kubernetes namespace.
Blueprint	A YAML file that describes the services, data, and config your app needs.
Baseline	A stable environment that other developers build on top of.
Overlay	A lightweight environment that runs only what you changed.
Snapshot	A saved copy of your data that can be restored later.
Seed	A reusable script that fills your database with test data.

Next Steps

• Read the CLI Guide for command-by-command workflows.
• Read the Blueprints Reference for the full schema.
• Read Platform Capabilities for advanced features like replay, overlays, and governance.