Creating Your First Project

Projects are the core workspaces in KtrlPlane where you organize and deploy your resources. This guide will walk you through creating, configuring, and managing your first project.

Understanding Projects

A project in KtrlPlane is:

• A workspace for related resources and applications
• A billing boundary where costs can be tracked separately
• An access control scope where you can grant team members specific permissions
• A deployment environment for your Konnektr resources

Step 1: Navigate to Project Creation

1. Log in to KtrlPlane and select your organization
2. From the organization dashboard, you'll see your projects (if any)
3. Click the "New Project" button or "Create Your First Project" if this is your first one

Step 2: Basic Project Information

Fill out the project creation form:

Project Name

• Choose a descriptive name that reflects the project's purpose
• Examples: "IoT Sensor Network", "Customer Analytics Platform", "Smart Building Management"
• Names must be unique within your organization

Description (Optional)

• Add a brief description explaining the project's goals
• This helps team members understand the project's purpose
• Examples: "Real-time monitoring system for manufacturing equipment", "Customer behavior analysis for e-commerce platform"

Project ID

• Automatically generated based on your project name
• Used in URLs and API calls
• Can be customized if needed (must be unique)

Step 3: Advanced Configuration

Billing Configuration

You have two options for project billing:

Option 1: Inherit from Organization (Recommended)

• Uses your organization's billing account and payment method
• Simplifies billing management
• All project costs appear on the organization's invoice
• Choose this if: You want centralized billing management

Option 2: Separate Project Billing

• Set up dedicated billing for this project
• Requires separate payment method configuration
• Useful for client projects or cost center tracking
• Choose this if: You need separate invoicing or charge-backs

Access Control Template

Choose who can access your project initially:

• Private: Only you have access (you can invite others later)
• Organization Members: All organization members get viewer access
• Custom: Define specific roles for organization members

Step 4: Create the Project

1. Review your configuration
2. Click "Create Project"
3. Wait for the project to be created (usually takes a few seconds)
4. You'll be redirected to your new project dashboard

Step 5: Project Dashboard Overview

Your project dashboard provides:

Quick Stats

• Number of resources deployed
• Current monthly usage and costs
• Active team members
• Project health status

Recent Activity

• Recent resource deployments
• Team member access changes
• Configuration updates
• Billing events

Quick Actions

• Add Resource: Deploy a new Konnektr service
• Invite Team Member: Grant project access to someone
• View Billing: Check usage and costs
• Project Settings: Modify project configuration

Step 6: Deploy Your First Resource

Now that your project is created, let's deploy your first resource:

1. Click "Add Resource" from the project dashboard
2. Choose a resource type based on your needs:

Konnektr.Graph

• Best for: Storing and querying connected data
• Use cases: Digital twin data models, relationship mapping, IoT device networks
• Free tier: Up to 1,000 nodes and 10,000 relationships

Konnektr.Flow

• Best for: Real-time data processing and event handling
• Use cases: Sensor data processing, alert systems, data transformation pipelines
• Free tier: Up to 1,000 events per hour

Konnektr.Assembler

• Best for: AI-powered digital twin creation
• Use cases: Automated model generation, data source integration, intelligent mapping
• Free tier: 5 AI generations per month

3. Select your preferred tier (Free, Pro, or Enterprise)
4. Configure the resource settings
5. Click "Create Resource"

Step 7: Configure Resource Settings

Each resource type has specific configuration options:

Graph Database Settings

{
  "database_name": "my-digital-twins",
  "enable_analytics": true,
  "backup_retention_days": 7,
  "access_control": {
    "enable_row_level_security": false
  }
}

Flow Processing Settings

{
  "max_concurrent_flows": 10,
  "retention_days": 30,
  "enable_dead_letter_queue": true,
  "auto_scaling": {
    "enabled": true,
    "max_instances": 5
  }
}

Assembler AI Settings

{
  "model_complexity": "standard",
  "auto_validation": true,
  "output_format": "dtdl_v2",
  "training_data_retention": "30_days"
}

Step 8: Monitor Deployment

After creating a resource:

1. You'll see the deployment progress in real-time
2. Deployment typically takes 2-5 minutes depending on the resource type
3. You'll receive an email notification when deployment completes
4. The resource will appear in your project dashboard with a "Running" status

Managing Your Project

Project Settings

Access project settings to:

• Change project name and description
• Modify billing configuration
• Update access control policies
• Configure integrations and webhooks

Team Management

Invite team members and manage permissions:

• Viewer: Can see resources and their configurations
• Editor: Can create, modify, and delete resources
• Admin: Can manage billing and team access
• Owner: Full project control (transferable)

Resource Management

From your project dashboard you can:

• View all deployed resources
• Check resource health and status
• Access resource configuration
• Monitor usage and performance
• Scale resources up or down

Next Steps

Now that you have your first project set up:

1. Explore Resource Management: Learn advanced resource configuration
2. Set Up Billing Alerts: Monitor costs and set up notifications
3. Configure Access Control: Fine-tune team permissions
4. Connect External Services: Integrate with your existing tools

Project Best Practices

Naming Conventions

• Use descriptive, consistent names
• Include environment indicators (dev, staging, prod)
• Consider using prefixes for different project types

Resource Organization

• Group related resources in the same project
• Use separate projects for different environments
• Consider project size limits for better management

Access Control

• Follow the principle of least privilege
• Regularly review team access
• Use temporary access for contractors or external collaborators

Cost Management

• Set up billing alerts for your projects
• Monitor resource usage regularly
• Use free tiers for development and testing