Edge Portal Client Operations Guide

Client-facing version: 2026-06-09

1. Start Here

The CFTS Edge Portal lets approved clients view and operate their assigned edge or VPS services.

The portal is permission-based. You will only see the services and actions approved for your account.

This means that a missing button, console option, service, or power action does not automatically mean something is broken. In most cases, it means the action is not available for your account, your network, or the current service state.

The most important rule

Use the least disruptive action that can solve the problem.

Hard power actions, such as Hard power off or Hard reboot, should only be used when:

• graceful options are unavailable,
• graceful options have already failed, or
• CFTS has instructed you to use them.

When in doubt, stop and contact CFTS support before taking a disruptive action.

2. What You Can Do in the Portal

Depending on your account permissions, you may be able to:

• Sign in and view your assigned services.
• Check power state, uptime, guest tools, IP addresses, and resource indicators.
• Open a browser-based service console.
• Power on, shut down, or restart a service.
• Use recovery actions such as hard power off or hard reboot.
• Change your own portal password.
• Manage allowed or blocked source networks.
• Review your own login history.
• Keep account notes and to-do checklists.
• Export notes as Markdown.

The portal does not provide normal client access to CFTS internal administration, provisioning, billing, backup administration, firewall administration, snapshot management, or direct host management.

3. Why Something May Be Missing

If you expected to see a service, button, console option, or action but it is not visible, one of these usually applies:

CFTS support can confirm whether a missing item is intentional.

4. Browser Requirements

Use a current desktop browser such as:

• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari

Your browser must allow:

• cookies,
• JavaScript,
• HTTPS access to the portal,
• secure web socket connections if you use the console.

If the dashboard loads but the console does not connect, your company network may be filtering web sockets or browser scripts.

5. Signing In

1. Open the portal URL supplied by CFTS.
2. Enter your assigned username.
3. Enter your assigned password.
4. Select Login.

After a successful login, the dashboard opens automatically.

If login fails

Check the following:

• The username and password are entered exactly as supplied.
• You are connecting from an approved network, if your account is network-restricted.
• The account has not been disabled or blocked.

Do not send your password to CFTS by email, chat, screenshot, or ticket.

6. Understanding Your Account Access

Each client receives one or more approved portal accounts from CFTS.

Different accounts can have different access levels. Your account may combine one or more of these profiles:

These are not ranks. They are operational permissions.

7. Dashboard Overview

The dashboard is the main client operations screen.

At the top of the dashboard, you may see:

• your signed-in username,
• your detected client IP address,
• IPv4 and IPv6 display controls,
• account settings,
• notes or to-do access,
• theme control,
• logout.

Below this, each assigned service appears as a service card.

A service card can show:

• service display name,
• underlying service name,
• vCPU, memory, and storage allocation,
• VM uptime and operating system uptime,
• power state,
• operating system category,
• guest tools status,
• guest IP addresses,
• CPU, memory, disk, and network indicators,
• an Actions menu, when operations are available.

If your account has no visible assigned services, the dashboard shows:

No services are available for this account.  

8. Common First Checks

Before using a power or recovery action, check:

1. Is the service Online or Offline?
2. Are guest tools running?
3. Is an IP address visible?
4. Is the dashboard updating normally?
5. Can you open the console, if available?
6. Are users or applications still active?
7. Is the missing action expected for your account permissions?

If these checks do not explain the issue, contact CFTS before using hard recovery actions.

9. Dashboard Refresh and Time Display

Service cards refresh automatically about every 30 seconds.

The page does not fully reload. Values update in place.

Automatic refresh may pause while:

• the browser tab is hidden,
• an action menu is open,
• another refresh request is already running.

Dashboard refresh does not count as user activity for the inactivity timeout. You must actively use the portal to keep your session alive.

Updated time

The footer shows an Updated HH:MM value. This time is supplied by the Edge Portal server.

For the current Edge Portal, server-local time is East Africa Time.

HTTP headers, browser developer tools, and proxy logs may show UTC or GMT. That is normal and does not mean the portal clock is wrong.

10. Reading Service Status

Power state

A service can be Online even if the guest operating system inside it is not responding normally.

Use power state together with console access, guest tools status, IP address status, and support guidance.

Operating system and guest tools

The portal may identify the service as Windows, Linux, Other, or Unknown.

Guest tools are services installed inside the guest operating system. They help the platform report IP addresses, operating system uptime, and whether graceful shutdown or restart is available.

Graceful Shutdown and Restart require the service to be online, guest tools to be running, and the guest operating system to be Windows or Linux.

11. IP Address Display

The dashboard shows guest IP addresses reported by the platform and guest tools.

By default:

• IPv4 addresses are shown,
• IPv6 addresses are hidden.

Use the IPv4 and IPv6 controls at the top of the dashboard to choose which address families are visible. Your preference is saved in the browser.

Use the copy control beside a visible IP address when you need to paste it into another tool.

If IP addresses show as unknown

Common causes include:

• guest tools are not installed,
• guest tools are not running,
• the guest operating system is still booting,
• the guest network is not configured,
• the platform has not refreshed the guest information yet.

Contact CFTS support if an IP address remains unknown and you need it for operations.

12. CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network Indicators

The dashboard can show platform-observed indicators for:

• CPU,
• memory,
• disk I/O,
• network I/O.

Use these as quick operational signals. They can help you spot obvious activity, inactivity, or pressure.

They are not a full guest operating system performance report, process list, application monitor, billing statement, or SLA measurement.

13. Service Actions

Each service card may include an Actions menu.

Only actions that are both approved for your account and valid for the current service state are shown.

Recommended action order

Use this order whenever possible:

1. Check the console or application first.
2. Use Shutdown or Restart for normal maintenance.
3. Use Power on only when the service is offline.
4. Use Hard power off or Hard reboot only as a recovery fallback.

Hard fallback actions bypass the guest operating system. They can interrupt active users, corrupt unsaved work, or worsen an application issue.

14. How to Perform Common Actions

Power on a service

1. Find the service card.
2. Open Actions.
3. Select Power on.
4. Wait for the task to complete.
5. Watch the dashboard for the state to change to Online.

The guest operating system and applications may need more time after the platform reports the service as online.

Gracefully shut down a service

1. Confirm users and applications are ready for shutdown.
2. Find the service card.
3. Open Actions.
4. Select Shutdown.
5. Wait for the task to complete.
6. Watch the dashboard for the state to change to Offline.

If Shutdown is not visible, the service may be offline, guest tools may not be running, the guest OS may not support graceful actions, or your account may not have permission.

Gracefully restart a service

1. Confirm users and applications are ready for restart.
2. Find the service card.
3. Open Actions.
4. Select Restart.
5. Wait for the task to complete.
6. Watch the dashboard while the service restarts.

Restart may temporarily interrupt console access, IP reporting, and application availability.

Hard power off

Hard power off is a recovery fallback.

Use it only if graceful shutdown is unavailable, has failed, or CFTS has instructed you to use it.

1. Confirm graceful shutdown is unavailable or has failed.
2. Find the service card.
3. Open Actions.
4. Select Hard power off.
5. Read the confirmation page.
6. Select Hard Power Off to proceed, or Cancel to return.
7. Watch the dashboard for the state to change to Offline.

Hard reboot

Hard reboot is a recovery fallback.

Use it only if graceful restart is unavailable, has failed, or CFTS has instructed you to use it.

1. Confirm graceful restart is unavailable or has failed.
2. Find the service card.
3. Open Actions.
4. Select Hard reboot.
5. Read the confirmation page.
6. Select Hard Reboot to proceed, or Cancel to return.
7. Watch the dashboard while the service resets.

15. Web Console

The web console gives browser-based keyboard, mouse, and screen access to an assigned service.

Open the console

1. Find the service card.
2. Open Actions.
3. Select Console.
4. The console opens in a new browser tab or window.
5. Click inside the console screen to focus keyboard and mouse input.

Console toolbar controls

Paste Text is one-way input only. It does not create a shared clipboard and cannot copy text, screenshots, or files from the guest console back to your browser.

Review pasted text before sending it. Pasted text goes wherever the cursor is focused inside the guest operating system.

Console access is live access to the service. Any keyboard, mouse, operating system, or application changes take effect immediately.

If the console does not connect

Try the following:

1. Wait a few seconds for the connection status to update.
2. Select Reconnect.
3. Refresh the console tab.
4. Confirm your browser or company network allows secure web socket traffic.
5. Confirm the service is still visible and assigned to your account.

Contact CFTS support if the console reports Console unavailable, Console SDK unavailable, Console error, or remains disconnected.

If keyboard input does not appear to work, click inside the console screen first.

16. Account Settings

Account settings are available from the header when enabled for your account.

They may include:

• your signed-in username,
• your detected client IP address,
• password change controls,
• allowed and blocked source network controls,
• recent login history for your own account.

These settings apply only to the signed-in account. You cannot view or change another client's account settings from this area.

Change your password

1. Open account settings from the header.
2. Enter your current password.
3. Enter the new password.
4. Confirm the new password.
5. Submit the change.

If the change fails, the portal may show a safe reason, such as a password policy issue. Choose a stronger password and try again.

Do not reuse weak, old, shared, or easily guessed passwords.

Source network rules

Some accounts can manage their own allowed and blocked source IP or CIDR rules.

Allowed source networks define where the account may sign in from. Blocked source networks deny access from specific IPs or ranges.

Examples:

203.0.113.10  
203.0.113.0/24  

Important behavior:

• Rules apply only to the signed-in account.
• Blocked rules take priority over allowed rules.
• If allowed rules exist, the account should sign in only from those networks.
• The portal prevents saving a rule set that would block your current detected IP.
• Office, VPN, or ISP address changes may affect access.

Contact CFTS support before changing source rules if you are unsure which address or range to use.

Login history

Account settings can show recent login history for the signed-in account.

Use it to confirm successful, failed, or denied sign-in activity. It includes detected client IP, result, and timestamp.

If you see activity you do not recognize, change your password if possible and contact CFTS support.

17. Notes and To-do Lists

The portal can provide account notes and to-do lists from the header.

Use this area for short operational notes, maintenance reminders, handover points, and task checklists linked to the signed-in account.

Notes are account-owned. One client account cannot view another account's notes through the portal.

The notes area may support:

• New note for general text notes,
• New checklist for task-style entries,
• nested notes up to three levels deep,
• collapsed note rows,
• search across note titles, bodies, and checklist text,
• Markdown export.

Good examples

Patch window agreed for Friday 18:00 EAT.  
Check backup status after reboot.  
Confirm application owner has tested login.  
Follow up with CFTS about missing IPv6 address.  

Do not store secrets in notes

Notes and to-do lists are not a password manager, secrets vault, legal record system, or secure document store.

Do not store:

• passwords or password hints,
• API keys,
• private keys,
• tokens,
• recovery codes,
• backup passphrases,
• full third-party credentials,
• unnecessary personal data.

Notes are stored on the portal server and may be included in server backups. CFTS administrators or operators with server access may be able to inspect stored notes during support, security, or recovery work.

Markdown exports leave the portal and become your responsibility to protect.

18. Theme Control

The portal includes a theme control in the header when available.

Changing the theme affects only the portal appearance in your browser. It does not change the service itself and does not affect other users.

19. Signing Out and Session Timeout

Use Logout in the header when you are finished.

Always log out before:

• leaving a shared workstation,
• closing a support session,
• handing the browser to another person.

Authenticated sessions expire after a period of inactivity. The default timeout is up to 15 minutes, although CFTS may configure a shorter timeout.

User activity such as clicking, typing, scrolling, or touching the page can keep the session alive.

Passive dashboard refresh does not keep the session alive.

If the session expires, the portal redirects you to logout or asks you to sign in again. Any open console session should be considered disconnected after timeout.

20. Common Messages

21. Security Expectations

All portal users must follow these practices:

• Keep credentials private.
• Do not share portal accounts.
• Do not send passwords in tickets, email, chat, or screenshots.
• Use only approved networks if your account is network-restricted.
• Be careful when changing source network rules.
• Do not store secrets in notes, to-do lists, or exported Markdown files.
• Log out when finished.
• Report unexpected services, missing services, or suspicious activity to CFTS.
• Treat console access as direct access to the service.

Portal action attempts, login events, and account self-service events may be logged with timestamp, username, client IP, result, and a short message.

This protects clients and CFTS by creating a traceable operational record.

22. When to Contact CFTS

Contact CFTS support when:

• you cannot sign in,
• your assigned service is missing,
• you can see a service you should not see,
• guest IP is unknown and you need the address,
• guest tools show not running, not installed, or unknown,
• a required action is missing,
• a power action or console connection fails,
• you need a hard fallback action enabled or performed,
• you are unsure how to set allowed or blocked source networks,
• you see login history you do not recognize,
• a password change fails and the displayed reason is unclear,
• note saving or Markdown export fails,
• the visible portal Updated time does not match expected server-local time,
• you suspect a security issue.

Include this information in support requests

Please include:

• portal username, but not the password,
• service display name or service name,
• time and date of the issue,
• browser used,
• action attempted,
• error message shown,
• whether you were using dashboard, console, account settings, source network rules, or notes,
• your source office, VPN, or public IP if network restriction may be involved.

Screenshots are helpful, but remove or avoid sensitive passwords, tokens, unrelated client information, or confidential data before sending them.

For suggestions, bug reports, or support requests, contact:

devops@cfts.co  

23. Client Operation Checklist

Use this checklist for normal operations:

1. Sign in with your assigned account.
2. Confirm only expected services are visible.
3. Check service power state, guest tools, IP address, uptime, and resource indicators.
4. Use IPv4 or IPv6 filters as needed.
5. Use account settings only for your own password, source network rules, and login history.
6. Use notes for operational reminders, not secrets.
7. Use the least disruptive available action.
8. Use console only when direct screen access is required.
9. Confirm the service returns to the expected state.
10. Log out when finished.

If anything looks wrong, stop and contact CFTS support before taking disruptive recovery actions.

24. One-page Quick Reference

If a service is offline

1. Confirm it is the correct service.
2. Open Actions.
3. Use Power on, if available.
4. Wait for the dashboard to show Online.
5. Allow extra time for the guest operating system and applications to start.

If a service is online but not responding

1. Check guest tools status.
2. Check IP address status.
3. Check CPU, memory, disk, and network indicators.
4. Open the console, if available.
5. Use graceful Restart only if appropriate.
6. Use hard recovery only if graceful recovery is unavailable, has failed, or CFTS instructs you to use it.

If an action is missing

1. Check service power state.
2. Check guest tools status.
3. Check whether the operating system supports the action.
4. Check whether your account is expected to have that permission.
5. Contact CFTS support if still unclear.

If the console will not connect

1. Wait briefly.
2. Select Reconnect.
3. Refresh the console tab.
4. Check whether your browser or network blocks secure web sockets.
5. Contact CFTS if the issue continues.

If you see suspicious login history

1. Change your password if possible.
2. Do not share screenshots containing passwords or secrets.
3. Contact CFTS support.