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If you’re running phpVMS 7 as your crew system, this is the easiest way to connect Stratos to it. We publish a set of free, open-source phpVMS modules that drop straight into your install and expose the API endpoints the Stratos desktop client expects. No bolt-on tables, no extra schemas: every endpoint reads and writes phpVMS-native data. The modules are split by concern so you only install what you need. Right now there are two: More are on the way (screenshots, awards, fleet management: driven by what VA admins ask for). Each lives in its own repo, ships its own module.zip artifact, and can be installed independently.

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What “module” means here

A phpVMS module is a self-contained PHP package that drops into your phpVMS install’s modules/ directory. It registers its own routes, controllers, and migrations alongside the phpVMS core without forking it. phpVMS 7 ships with the nWidart/laravel-modules loader, which discovers modules on disk and activates them on demand. Our modules follow this contract exactly. You install them via the phpVMS admin UI like any other module: no patches to phpVMS source, no overlay branches, no migration conflicts when you upgrade phpVMS itself.

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How they fit together

The Core API is the foundation. Every other Stratos module depends on it because:
  • It defines the Bearer-token auth middleware (Modules\StratosCore\Http\Middleware\StratosAuth) that downstream modules reuse: pilots authenticate once with their phpVMS api_key and that authentication flows through every Stratos endpoint, regardless of which module owns it.
  • It exposes the flight lifecycle endpoints (start, update, complete, cancel) that the Stratos desktop client uses to record flights into phpVMS’s native pireps and acars tables.
  • It declares the API base prefix (/api/stratos) and CORS headers that downstream modules extend.
The Logbook API mounts at /api/stratos/logbook and reuses Core’s middleware. Future modules (screenshots, awards) will follow the same pattern: same prefix root, same auth, scope-specific endpoints under a subpath.
Each module declares its dependencies in its module.json via the requires field. If you try to enable the Logbook API without Core installed, phpVMS will tell you what’s missing before booting.

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Install order

Always install Core first, then any module you want on top:
1

Install Stratos Core API

Download the latest module.zip from the Core API releases page and upload it via your phpVMS admin’s Admin → Modules → Add New Module page and enable it. Before phpVMS 7.0.10, also clear caches.Full walkthrough: Stratos Core API.
2

Install any add-on modules

With Core in place, repeat the same flow for each add-on you want, such as the Logbook API. Each has its own page in this guide with module-specific install notes and what it adds.Currently available: Stratos Logbook API.
3

Point your VA at the right base URL

In your airline’s Settings → Connection, enter your phpVMS install plus /api/stratos in Stratos endpoint URL (for example https://crew.yourva.com/api/stratos) and click Verify. Verify calls the Core handshake, GET /api/stratos, which returns the module version and confirms the API is reachable. Pilots keep using the old address until a Verify passes. New airlines do this in the Connect step of the set-up journey.

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Why open source

These modules are MIT-licensed and live in their own public repos under SkyvexSoftware. A few reasons:
  • You can read the code. Every endpoint is plain phpVMS-native PHP: no black box, no proprietary protocol, no obfuscation.
  • You can fork. If your VA has a custom field, a non-standard PIREP shape, or wants to swap an endpoint for one your team maintains, fork the module and install your version. Stratos doesn’t care which fork is serving the API.
  • You can contribute. PRs against any of the repos are welcome. Bug fix, new field, performance improvement: open an issue or send a patch.

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Requirements

  • phpVMS 7 (the modules use phpVMS 7’s Laravel 10 / nWidart Modules stack: they will not work on phpVMS 5/6 and won’t run on the in-development phpVMS 8 branch yet)
  • PHP 8.2+ (matching phpVMS 7’s own floor)
  • Admin access to your phpVMS install: you need the Add New Module option in the admin sidebar
If you’re not on phpVMS 7, the VA Onboarding guide covers what your crew system needs to expose to Stratos directly. Anything that can implement the Stratos VA API contract can connect: the phpVMS modules are just the easiest path.

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Next steps