Howto16r1:Step-by-Step Docker Compose Container Deployment

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This guide explains how to structure, configure, and run a container using Docker Compose. It also covers how to update the container image.

Docker Compose: Step-by-Step Container Deployment

This article describes how to deploy and maintain an innovaphone container using Docker Compose.

Features

• Clear separation of configuration and deployment
• Centralized configuration using a .env file
• Persistent data storage via mounted volumes
• Easy updates by modifying the container image version

Limitations

• Each container should be placed in its own directory
• Changes to variables or image versions require restarting the container

Requirements

• Docker installed and running
• Docker Compose installed
• Access to the required innovaphone container image
• Sufficient permissions to create directories and store persistent data

Things to know before you begin

• It is recommended to create a dedicated directory for each container
• Each container setup requires at least two files:
  • .env
  • docker-compose.yml
• The .env file contains all configurable variables
• The docker-compose.yml file defines the container structure and behavior

Configuration

Create container directory

Create a dedicated directory for the container config and container persistant data.

Example:

/dockerdata/apcontainer
/dockerdata/apcontainer/data

Set ownership

Set ownership for your user.

Example:

chown -R $USER:$USER /dockerdata/apcontainer

Create .env file

Define all required variables in the .env file.

WEBSERVERPORTHTTP=8080
WEBSERVERPORTHTTPS=8082
LOG_FLAGS=7
LOG_SIZE=1048576
DNSIPV4=8.8.8.8
LIMIT_RAM=512
LIMIT_DISK=10
TZ=Europe/Berlin

HOST_PORT_HTTP=9202
HOST_PORT_HTTPS=9203

DATA_PATH=/dockerdata/apcontainer/data

Description of .env file variables

Variable	Description
WEBSERVERPORTHTTP	Internal HTTP port of the container
WEBSERVERPORTHTTPS	Internal HTTPS port of the container
LOG_FLAGS	Logging level and options
LOG_SIZE	Maximum size of log files
DNSIPV4	DNS server used by the container
LIMIT_RAM	RAM limit assigned to the container
LIMIT_DISK	Disk space limit assigned to the container
TZ	Time zone configuration
HOST_PORT_HTTP	External HTTP port on the host
HOST_PORT_HTTPS	External HTTPS port on the host
DATA_PATH	Host path for persistent container data

Optional port mappings

The following additional ports can be exposed if required by the application.

Host Port	Container Port	Protocol	Description
9002	80	TCP	Standard HTTP (RP)
9004	443	TCP	Standard HTTPS (RP)
1300	1300	TCP	H323/TLS
1500	5060	TCP	SIP
1501	5061	TCP	SIP/TLS
636	1636	TCP	LDAP/TLS
8025	8025	TCP	SMTP
8587	8587	TCP	SMTP/TLS
3478	3478	TCP/UDP	STUN/TURN

These ports are optional and only required depending on the recommended service.

To enable them, extend the ports section in the following docker-compose.yml file accordingly.

Warning: Each host port can only be used once on a host system. If a port is already in use by another container, the deployment will fail. Always verify port availability before starting the container.

Create docker-compose.yml

Define the container setup in the docker-compose.yml file.

services:
  apcontainer:
    image: registry.innovaphone.com/cloud/kubernetes/innovaphone-platform-instance:140030
    container_name: apcontainer
    restart: unless-stopped

    ports:
      - "${HOST_PORT_HTTP}:${WEBSERVERPORTHTTP}"
      - "${HOST_PORT_HTTPS}:${WEBSERVERPORTHTTPS}"

     # Optional ports
      - "9002:80"
      - "9004:443"
      - "1300:1300"
      - "1500:5060"
      - "1501:5061"
      - "636:1636"
      - "8025:8025"
      - "8587:8587"
      - "3478:3478/tcp"
      - "3478:3478/udp"

    volumes:
      - ${DATA_PATH}:/mnt/data

    environment:
      WEBSERVERPORTHTTP: ${WEBSERVERPORTHTTP}
      WEBSERVERPORTHTTPS: ${WEBSERVERPORTHTTPS}
      LOG_FLAGS: ${LOG_FLAGS}
      LOG_SIZE: ${LOG_SIZE}
      DNSIPV4: ${DNSIPV4}
      LIMIT_RAM: ${LIMIT_RAM}
      LIMIT_DISK: ${LIMIT_DISK}
      TZ: ${TZ}

    ulimits:
      nofile:
        soft: 500000
        hard: 500000

Set permissions

Set permissions for folders and files

Example:

chmod 750 /dockerdata/apcontainer
chmod 640 /dockerdata/apcontainer/.env
chmod 644 /dockerdata/apcontainer/docker-compose.yml
chmod 770 /dockerdata/apcontainer/data

Start container

After creating both files, start the container with:

docker compose up -d

Image Update

To update the container, you can first check the available image tags in the registry:

curl -s https://registry.innovaphone.com/v2/cloud/kubernetes/innovaphone-platform-instance/tags/list

Then modify the image version in the docker-compose.yml file.

Example:

image: registry.innovaphone.com/cloud/kubernetes/innovaphone-platform-instance:140030

Then recreate and start the container:

docker compose up -d

Verification

To verify the deployment, check the following:

• The container is running without errors
• The configured host ports are accessible
• The data directory defined in DATA_PATH is correctly mounted
• Environment variables are applied correctly

Example command:

docker compose ps

Troubleshooting

Container does not start

• Check container logs:

docker compose logs -f

• Verify that all variables in the .env file are correctly defined
• Ensure the image name and version are valid and accessible
• Check for syntax errors in docker-compose.yml

Ports are not accessible

• Verify that the configured host ports are not already in use:

netstat -tulnp | grep <PORT>

• Ensure firewall rules allow access to the defined ports
• Confirm correct port mapping in docker-compose.yml

Volume or data issues

• Check if the host directory defined in DATA_PATH exists
• Verify permissions of the directory:

ls -la /dockerdata/apcontainer/data

• Ensure Docker has access rights to the directory

Configuration changes are not applied

• Restart the container after changes:

docker compose down
docker compose up -d

Container exits unexpectedly

• Inspect logs for errors:

docker compose logs

• Check system resource limits (RAM, disk)
• Verify ulimit settings are supported by the host system

Related Articles

Reference16r1:Concept innovaphone App Platform Container