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After you install the watsonx Orchestrate server, you manage the local watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition server using the ADK CLI. With the CLI, you stop or start the server, reset it, view container logs, and manage the VM that hosts the containers. You can attach or release the VM, edit its settings, or log in using SSH.

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Initializing watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition server

Initialize the server when it is stopped or when you want to start additional resources that you did not enable previously. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server start -e <path-.env-file>

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Stopping watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition server

Stop the server when you finish your work to free resources on your machine. This prevents unnecessary CPU and memory usage. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server stop

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Resetting watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition server

Reset the environment instead of uninstalling and reinstalling. This command stops the server, removes all Docker containers, and clears data volumes. Use it when you need a clean environment for development. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server reset

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Editing watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition VMs

The installation creates a VM named ibm-watsonx-orchestrate that hosts the watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition containers. By default, the VM uses 8 cores and 16 GB RAM. You can change CPU, memory, and disk space to improve performance or fit your hardware limits. Run:
Note:You cannot edit disks for VMs running in WSL.
BASH
orchestrate server edit --cpus <cpu-cores> --memory <memory> --disk <disk-space>

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Using Docker

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Attaching watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition to a Docker engine

The installation creates a VM named ibm-watsonx-orchestrate that hosts the watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition containers. Attach Docker to this VM context when you need Docker commands to run inside the VM instead of your local machine. This is useful if you want to manage containers that belong to the watsonx Orchestrate environment directly. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server attach-docker

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Releasing watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition from a Docker engine

Switch Docker back to the previous context when you finish working with the VM. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server release-docker

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Viewing watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition logs

To view all logs for all containers, run:
BASH
orchestrate server logs
To show the logs for a specific service, run:
BASH
orchestrate server logs dev-edition-wxo-server-worker-1

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Logging into watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition VM using SSH

The installation creates a VM named ibm-watsonx-orchestrate that hosts the watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition containers. Access this VM with SSH when you need direct control. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server ssh

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Cleaning on-premises cache layers

Remove Docker image layers based on your .env file to free disk space and refresh cached images. Run:
BASH
orchestrate server images prune

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Purging the server

To delete the underlying VM and start from scratch, run:
BASH
orchestrate server purge