This is a quick, practical guide to getting SyteRay up and running. No theory — just the commands you need.
Prerequisites
- •Windows Server 2016+, Ubuntu 20.04+, RHEL 8+, or macOS 12+
- •Node.js 18+ (the installer will prompt you if needed)
- •Network access to your SyteLine SQL Server instance
- •SQL Server credentials with read access (write access optional)
Step 1: Install (2 minutes)
npx syteray init
```
This downloads the SyteRay CLI, creates your config directory at `~/.syteray/`, and verifies your environment. On Windows, you can also download the MSI installer from get.syteray.com.Step 2: Connect to SyteLine (1 minute)
sl connect --host your-sql-server --db SyteLine --user sa
```
SyteRay will test the connection, discover available IDOs, and build a local schema map. This usually takes 10-30 seconds depending on your database size.Step 3: Run Your First Query (10 seconds)
sl query "Show me the top 10 customers by revenue this quarter"
```
SyteRay translates your natural language question into the appropriate IDO call, runs it through the policy engine (which checks your permissions and data access rules), and returns formatted results.Step 4: Deploy an Agent (30 seconds)
sl agent deploy finance-monitor
```
The finance-monitor agent watches for anomalies in your AP/AR data — unusual payment patterns, duplicate invoices, and missing approvals. It runs on a schedule you define and reports findings to the CLI or Web UI.What's Next?
- •Run `sl agent list` to see all available agents for your plan
- •Try `sl report generate monthly-kpi` for an instant KPI dashboard
- •Run `sl ext list` to see what extensions are available
- •Check `sl status` anytime to verify your connection and agent health
Troubleshooting
Connection refused: Make sure your SQL Server allows TCP connections and the port (default 1433) is open.
Permission denied: SyteRay needs at minimum db_datareader on your SyteLine database. For write operations, add db_datawriter.
Slow first query: The first query builds the schema cache. Subsequent queries are much faster.
Need Help?
Book a free 30-minute setup call at syteray.com/contact — we'll walk you through it live.