---
title: "The first Controller appliance created in an AppGate system"
slug: "the-first-controller-v6-7"
description: "Appliance configuration can be done depending on the appliance option used, such has hosted instances, cloud instances, virtual machines, or physical machines."
updated: 2026-08-21T19:25:14Z
published: 2026-08-21T19:25:14Z
canonical: "support.appgate.com/the-first-controller-v6-7"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.appgate.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The first Controller

The first appliance in any AppGate ZTNA Collective must be a Controller. Until you have the Controller, there is no admin UI. Appliance configuration can be done in several ways depending on the appliance option used:

| ***Hosted instances*** | The form you fill out for a hosted [ZTP](/v1/docs/about-appgate-ztp-v6-7) instance has all the required data fields, so the appliance is pre-configured and will appear as the first Controller. A second [HA Controller](/v1/docs/controllers-v6-7) will be automatically provisioned and joined to the Collective. This is the simplest way to get your Controller(s) up and running. |
| --- | --- |
| ***Cloud instances*** | Cloud instances use templates that can be customized by the vendor or generalized by cloud provider: - The template can include the required data fields, in which case the instance can be pre-configured so it appears as the first Controller. - The template can also include a data field for the seed file, in which case it will then boot up into the function specified in the seed file. - If the instance boots up unseeded, then it can be configured as if it were a physical machine. |
| ***Virtual machines ***** | VMs typically need an ISO image specified when creating an appliance. - Certain VM types allow the seed file to be specified at the same time, in which case the VM will boot up into the function specified in the seed file. - If the VM boots up unseeded, then it can be configured as if it were a physical machine. |
| ***Physical machines ***** | These will boot up unseeded. You can either [run cz-setup](/v1/docs/configure-using-cz-setup-v6-7) to make a Controller, or upload a [seed file](/v1/docs/managing-appliance-defining-a-new-appliance-v6-7#export-seed-fileiso) to configure the function specified. |

** These may require an [Appliance installation](/v1/docs/appliance-installation-v6-7) to create a new AppGate ZTNA appliance.

The diagram below shows the options for creating new appliances of any type. After cz-setup is used for the first time to create the Controller, then additional appliances can be created using a seed file.

![Flowchart illustrating steps to configure a new appliance and generate a seed file.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/e7482ce5-acfa-4c3b-b76c-b6c32472644a/Images/Documentation/new_appliance_flow_appgate.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-26T23%3A24%3A09Z&se=2026-10-27T00%3A24%3A09Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ZKfL88glCahVBwLeEbqrBqEEWQ8K%2BlJSsrbQNpbpgYc%3D)