# Getting Started

## What is Interlynk?

Interlynk is a platform for automating software supply chain security. It uses Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX) as base artifacts for managing and eliminating software supply chain risks.

With Interlynk, you can:

* **Manage SBOMs** — Build, request, and collect SBOMs from first-party build pipelines or third-party suppliers
* **Monitor vulnerabilities** — Continuously track open-source dependencies and security vulnerabilities
* **Enforce policies** — Prevent vulnerable, malicious, or insecure components from entering your codebase
* **Prioritize remediation** — Implement risk-based prioritization for vulnerability remediation
* **Meet compliance requirements** — Satisfy open-source license and SBOM compliance obligations

## How It Works

Interlynk organizes your software supply chain data in a hierarchical model:

```
Organization → Product → Environment → Version (SBOM) → Components → Vulnerabilities
```

Upload an SBOM to a Product's Environment, and the platform automatically processes it — running quality checks, scanning for vulnerabilities, evaluating policies, and surfacing actionable insights.

To learn more, see [Core Concepts](https://docs.interlynk.io/interlynk-core-concepts/core-concepts).

## Quick Start

### 1. Set Up Your Organization

* [Manage users](https://docs.interlynk.io/administration/user-management) and [assign roles](https://docs.interlynk.io/administration/role-management)
* [Configure integrations](https://docs.interlynk.io/administration/integrations) with GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Slack, and more
* [Set up SSO](https://docs.interlynk.io/administration/sso) for your team

### 2. Create Products and Upload SBOMs

* [Create a Product](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/sbom-management/products) to represent your software
* [Upload SBOMs](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/sbom-management/versions) to track versions over time
* [Review packages](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/sbom-management/packages) and their dependencies

### 3. Monitor Security and Compliance

* [Track vulnerabilities](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/security-and-compliance/vulnerabilities) across your software
* [Review licenses](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/security-and-compliance/licenses) for compliance
* [Create policies](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/security-and-compliance/policies) to enforce standards

### 4. Gain Insights

* [View analytics](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/insights/analytics) across your portfolio
* [Assess tool coverage](https://docs.interlynk.io/product-guides/insights/tools) in your pipelines

## Productivity Tools

Interlynk provides CLI tools to integrate with your workflows:

* [pylynk](https://docs.interlynk.io/productivity-tools/pylynk) — Python CLI for the Interlynk API
* [lynk-mcp](https://docs.interlynk.io/productivity-tools/lynk-mcp) — MCP server for AI-assisted workflows
* [sbomqs](https://docs.interlynk.io/productivity-tools/sbomqs) — SBOM quality scoring
* [sbomasm](https://docs.interlynk.io/productivity-tools/sbomasm) — SBOM assembly and manipulation