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Local Mode

Run Expanso Edge as a standalone API server for rapid pipeline development and testing, with no workspace or cloud connection required.

What is Local Mode?​

Local mode runs Expanso Edge with a built-in API server that accepts job submissions directly via the CLI. Perfect for:

  • First-time users - Get started without infrastructure
  • Pipeline development - Fast iteration on pipeline configurations
  • Debugging - Test pipelines locally before deployment
  • CI/CD - Automated pipeline testing

What you get:

  • ✅ Full pipeline processing capabilities
  • ✅ REST API for job submission
  • ✅ CLI integration for job management
  • ✅ Local state storage
  • ✅ Zero configuration needed

What you don't get:

  • ❌ Multi-node coordination
  • ❌ Centralized orchestration
  • ❌ Job scheduling and assignment
  • ❌ Fleet management
  • ❌ Web UI for monitoring

Get Started​

Follow these guides to start using local mode:

Quick Start​

Run a hello-world pipeline on your machine and see its first record.

CLI Commands​

Learn how to deploy, manage, and monitor jobs using the Expanso CLI.

Examples​

Practical examples for file processing, data transformation, and HTTP webhooks.

Troubleshooting​

Solutions to common issues like port conflicts, job format errors, and connection problems.

Quick Command Reference​

# Start edge in local mode
expanso-edge run --local

# In another terminal: keep CLI settings in this folder
export EXPANSO_CLI_CONFIG_DIR="$PWD/.expanso-cli"

# Deploy a pipeline to the local edge
expanso-cli job deploy pipeline.yaml \
  --endpoint http://localhost:9010

# List running jobs
expanso-cli job list --endpoint http://localhost:9010

# Stop a job
expanso-cli job stop <job-id> --endpoint http://localhost:9010

When to Use Local Mode​

Use local mode when:

  • Learning Expanso for the first time
  • Developing new pipeline configurations
  • Testing pipelines before production deployment
  • Running automated pipeline tests in CI/CD
  • Debugging pipeline behavior locally

Use orchestrated mode when:

  • Deploying to production infrastructure
  • Managing multiple edge nodes
  • Needing centralized job scheduling
  • Requiring web UI for monitoring
  • Setting up fleet management

Next Steps​