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Starting from v1.5, Nexus Core runs a Spring Boot web panel instead of the legacy Swing dashboard. All connection parameters are entered through the web UI and validated live during bootstrapping. Since v1.4.0, these parameters are persisted to a local config file, so you only need to enter them once.

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Accessing the Web Panel

After launching Nexus Core, open your browser and navigate to:
Enter the connection details below and click INITIALIZE NEXUS ENGINE.

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Connection Parameters

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Security Key

The NEXUS_SIGNING_KEY environment variable controls HMAC-SHA256 message authentication. Since v1.5.1, signing is fully symmetric: Nexus Core verifies signatures on inbound packets and also signs all outbound responses (including DataAddon publish operations and heartbeat messages). Set the key before launching the process:
The same NEXUS_SIGNING_KEY value must be configured on every Spigot server that communicates with Nexus Core, and on Nexus Core itself. Never commit it to version control. Use a secrets manager or CI/CD environment variable and rotate it regularly.
If NEXUS_SIGNING_KEY is not set, both inbound verification and outbound signing are disabled. A one-time warning is logged at startup. This is acceptable only in local development environments.

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What Gets Signed (v1.5.1)

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Production Checklist

  • Set NEXUS_SIGNING_KEY on every node (Nexus Core and all Spigot servers) before deployment.
  • Keep all server clocks synchronized with NTP. Timestamp validation uses a 5-minute window; drift beyond that causes valid packets to be rejected.
  • Use a MongoDB URI with authentication in production (e.g. mongodb://user:pass@host:27017/nexus_core_db).
  • Bind Redis to a private network interface and enable password authentication. Do not expose it to the public internet.
  • Installation — building and running Nexus Core from source
  • Security — how HMAC signing, timestamp validation, and nonce protection work together
  • Quickstart — registering your first DataAddon