CO515-2024 : Advances in Computer
Networks: Selected Topics
Objective: The objective of this lab exercise is to familiarize undergraduate students
with Docker Compose, a tool used for defining and running multi-container Docker
applications.
Prerequisites:
• Basic understanding of Docker and containers.
• Docker installed on the system.
Lab Exercise: In this exercise, students will create a basic multi-container application
using Docker Compose. The application will consist of two services: a web server and
a database.
Instructions:
1. Setup:
o Make sure Docker is installed on your system.
o Create a new directory for your project.
o Inside the project directory, create two files: Dockerfile and docker-
[Link] .
2. Create Dockerfiles:
o Write Dockerfiles for both services (web server and database).
o For example, for a simple [Link] web server:
3. Write [Link]:
o Create a [Link] file to define the services.
o Here's an example for a [Link] web server and a MongoDB database:
4. Build and Run the Application:
o Run the following command in the project directory to build and run
the application:
docker-compose up
o This command will start both services defined in the docker-
[Link] file.
5. Access the Application:
o Access the web server from a web browser at
[Link] .
o You can interact with the application to see how it communicates with
the database.
6. Cleanup:
o After you're done, stop the running containers by pressing Ctrl + C .
o Optionally, you can run docker-compose down to remove the
containers.
Discussion Questions:
• What is Docker Compose, and how does it differ from Docker?
• What are the benefits of using Docker Compose for multi-container
applications?
• Explain the purpose of each section in the [Link] file.
• What are some real-world scenarios where Docker Compose can be useful?
• Submit the report in one week time.