# Getting Started

Copia is proud to offer DeviceLink -- an automated backup solution that provides change detection for your automation devices.

In the automation industry (as opposed to the software industry), source code lives in two places; (1) in the version control system, like Copia's Git-based Source Control, an (2) in the automation devices in the factory and field.  Copia addresses this by not only providing source-control, but automated backup, compare and monitoring between the device and the source control system.

DeviceLink enhances the workflows under Git-Based Source Control by providing automatic device backup and change detection of running control programs. With DeviceLink, you can visualize data in a central location, detect unauthorized changes, and visually compare code for quick troubleshooting and recovery.

The foundation of DeviceLink and its backup system is Copia's Git-Based Source Control. This product negotiates the storage and management of data after it is backed up from a Device.

If you are just getting started with Copia, you will need to create some repositories for your automation data before you configure DeviceLink. We strongly recommend that you walk through the documentation for [Git-Based Source Control](/docs/git-based-source-control/getting-started.md) to understand the storage mechanisms behind DeviceLink.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Git-Based Source Control is the core of Copia's two products and is required to be configured before working in DeviceLink.
{% endhint %}


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.copia.io/docs/devicelink/getting-started.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.