Multi-container application running with Docker

Tech Stack

• MERN
• Tailwind CSS
• Docker
  • images
    • mongo (mongodb)
    • optional: mongo-express (mongodb web based interface)

Prerequisites

• Install Node
• Install Docker

1. Running application with docker compose

• Run following from root of project

# It pulls and/or creates images
# Creates network, volume, containers
pnpm dev:build # docker compose up -d

# To recreate containers after making changes to local
pnpm dev:rebuild # docker compose up -d --build

Start the application

Open http://localhost:3000

To view source files and mongodb record in container

# api
docker exec -it app-docker-api-1 sh
    # then
    ls

# ui
docker exec -it app-docker-ui-1 sh
    # then
    ls usr/share/nginx/html

# mongodb
docker exec -it app-docker-mongo-1 mongosh -u admin -p admin
    # then
    show dbs
    use books
    show collections
    db.tech.find()

# To view mongodb from browser
http://localhost:8081

Remove created containers, network & volume

• Run following from root of project

# remove containers
pnpm dev:down # docker compose down --volumes

# to remove app images also
pnpm dev:down:images # docker compose down --volumes --rmi "local"

2. Running application with docker run

Without Dockerfile and Compose file

Create a docker network

docker network create app-docker-network

Create a volume to persist mongodb data

docker volume create app-docker-db-volume

Start mongo in defined network and use defined volume

docker run -d \
    --name app-docker-mongo \
    --network app-docker-network \
    -v app-docker-db-volume:/data/db \
    -p 27017:27017 \
    -e MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME=admin \
    -e MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD=admin \
    mongo

Start mongo-express in defined network

docker run -d \
    --name app-docker-mongo-express \
    --network app-docker-network \
    -p 8081:8081 \
    -e ME_CONFIG_MONGODB_ADMINUSERNAME=admin \
    -e ME_CONFIG_MONGODB_ADMINPASSWORD=admin \
    -e ME_CONFIG_MONGODB_SERVER=app-docker-mongo \
    mongo-express

To view mongodb

• Open mongo-express from browser by http://localhost:8081 to view mongodb as web based interface
• or access to mongodb from mongosh cli

docker exec -it app-docker-mongo mongosh -u admin -p admin

Start the application

pnpm install -r

cd api
# Create copy of .env.sample and rename it to .env in the same location
pnpm run dev

# UI
cd ui
# Create copy of .env.sample and rename it to .env in the same location
pnpm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000

Remove created containers, network & volume

# remove containers
docker rm -f app-docker-mongo app-docker-mongo-express

# remove network
docker network rm app-docker-network

# remove volume
docker volume rm app-docker-db-volume