How Do I Use Multi-Container Setups With Docker Compose for Local Development?

To set up a multi-container environment using Docker Compose for local development with Pulumi, we will leverage the Pulumi Docker provider. Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications, while Pulumi is an infrastructure as code platform that allows you to define and manage cloud resources. By using Pulumi in conjunction with Docker Compose, you can programmatically define and manage your local development environments.

First, ensure that you have Docker and Pulumi installed on your machine. You will also need to install the Pulumi Docker provider to manage Docker resources.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to define a multi-container setup with Docker Compose using Pulumi:

1. Create a Pulumi.yaml file to define your Pulumi project.
2. Define the Docker network and services using Pulumi in a TypeScript program.

The following code sets up a Docker network and two services: a web service running an Nginx server and a Redis service.

import * as pulumi from "@pulumi/pulumi";
import * as docker from "@pulumi/docker";

// Create a Docker network
const network = new docker.Network("app-network", {
    name: "app-network",
});

// Create a Redis container
const redisContainer = new docker.Container("redis", {
    image: "redis:latest",
    name: "redis",
    networksAdvanced: [{
        name: network.name,
    }],
    ports: [{
        internal: 6379,
        external: 6379,
    }],
});

// Create a Nginx container
const webContainer = new docker.Container("web", {
    image: "nginx:latest",
    name: "web",
    networksAdvanced: [{
        name: network.name,
    }],
    ports: [{
        internal: 80,
        external: 8080,
    }],
    envs: [
        "REDIS_HOST=redis",
    ],
});

// Export the container names and URLs
export const redisContainerName = redisContainer.name;
export const webContainerName = webContainer.name;
export const webContainerUrl = pulumi.interpolate`http://localhost:8080`;

Key Points

• Docker Network: A Docker network named app-network is created to facilitate communication between containers.
• Redis Container: A Redis container is set up using the redis:latest image, connected to the network, and exposes port 6379.
• Nginx Container: An Nginx container is created using the nginx:latest image, also connected to the network, with port 80 mapped to port 8080 on the host.
• Environment Variables: The Nginx container is configured with an environment variable REDIS_HOST to connect to the Redis service.

Conclusion

In this guide, we demonstrated how to set up a multi-container environment for local development using Pulumi and Docker Compose. By defining a Docker network and services such as Redis and Nginx, we created a robust local development environment. This approach allows for easy management and scalability of your development setup, enabling you to add more services and configurations as your project grows. Integrating Pulumi with Docker Compose enhances your ability to automate and manage containerized applications effectively.