> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.molesignal.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # FAQ > Answers to common questions about licensing, requirements, data storage, retention, protocols, and operations. ## General ### What is MoleSignal? MoleSignal is a self-hosted, OpenTelemetry-native observability platform. It stores logs, metrics, traces, and profiles as Parquet files in object storage and queries them with SQL and PromQL-compatible queries. See [Core concepts](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/concepts.md). ### Which license applies? MoleSignal is open source under the Apache License 2.0. See [Open source edition](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/editions/open-source.md). ### Is there a hosted version? MoleSignal Cloud is the hosted offering. Details are on [molesignal.com/cloud](https://www.molesignal.com/cloud). ### Which services does a deployment need? PostgreSQL and object storage. The `local` object backend replaces object storage for a single node and for development. No Kafka, Redis, or consensus service is involved. See [Deploy MoleSignal](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/deployment). ### Which database stores the metadata? PostgreSQL. Set `[meta_database].dsn` to its connection string. See [Configuration](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/configuration.md#metadata-database). ### Can MoleSignal run without containers? Yes. MoleSignal ships as a single binary. The [deployment guide](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/deployment) covers Docker Compose, a binary with systemd, and Kubernetes. ## Data ### Where does the data live? Logs, metrics, and traces live as Parquet files in object storage. PostgreSQL stores metadata, identities, the file catalog, and product resources. Records that are not flushed yet live in the write-ahead log on the local disk of the intake node. See [Backup and restore](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/backup-restore.md). ### How long is data kept? 30 days by default. **Settings → Data retention** in the `_sys` organization sets the default, and each stream can set its own retention. See [Streams](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/streams.md). ### Which protocols accept data? OTLP over HTTP and gRPC, Prometheus `remote_write`, the Elasticsearch `_bulk` protocol, Loki push in JSON form, native JSON over HTTP, and the Kinesis Firehose, Cloudflare Logpush, and Heroku log drains. See [Datasource](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/intake). ### Why do records appear at the wrong time? `_timestamp` counts microseconds since the Unix epoch. Values in seconds, milliseconds, or nanoseconds land at the wrong time. See [Troubleshooting](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/troubleshooting.md#missing-or-odd-data). ### How to query with a SQL client? Enable `[flight_sql]` and connect DBeaver, JDBC, or ADBC clients to port `5083` with an API token. See [Connect with a database client](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/query/database-clients.md). ## Accounts and security ### How to sign in the first time? A fresh deployment creates the root account from `[auth].root_email` and `[auth].root_password`. The sample configuration uses `admin@example.com` and `admin`. Change both before real use. See [Production checklist](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/deployment/production-checklist.md). ### How to reset a forgotten password? Use the password reset link on the sign-in page. MoleSignal emails the link, so `[notify.smtp]` and `[http].external_url` must be configured. ### Is single sign-on supported? Yes. OIDC, SAML, and LDAP providers are configured in the web UI under **Identity & Access → SSO providers** and stored in PostgreSQL. See [Identity & access](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/identity). ### What does `MS_CIPHER_KEY` protect? It is the root key for secrets that MoleSignal stores in PostgreSQL, such as API tokens, notification connector credentials, and Mole Agent provider keys. Keep a backup of it. See [Production checklist](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/deployment/production-checklist.md). ## Operations ### How to scale a deployment? Start with a single `standalone` node. To scale intake, query, and background work independently, split the roles across processes: the `router` role serves the web UI and the API, forwards writes to `intake` nodes, and sends queries to `querier` nodes. See [Role-based deployment](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/deployment/role-based.md) and [Known limitations](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/limitations.md). ### How to find the running version? Run `molesignal --version`, or call `GET /api/v1/version` with a bearer token. ### Where to get help or report a problem? See [Support and community](https://docs.molesignal.com/en-US/support.md). Report security issues privately through the channels listed there. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.