Docker Compose Deployment

This guide explains how to run Cascadia PLM using Docker and Docker Compose.

Prerequisites

• Docker Engine 20.10 or later
• Docker Compose V2 (comes with Docker Desktop)
• At least 2GB of available RAM
• 5GB of available disk space

Quick Start

1. Copy the Docker environment file:

   cp .env.docker .env

2. Edit the .env file and update the following critical values:

   • SESSION_SECRET: Generate a secure random 32-character string
   • POSTGRES_PASSWORD: Change from default for production
   • PGADMIN_PASSWORD: Change from default if using pgAdmin

3. Start the application:

   docker-compose up -d

4. Access the application:

   • Application: http://localhost:3000
   • pgAdmin (optional): http://localhost:5050

5. View logs:

   docker-compose logs -f app

Architecture

The Docker setup includes three services:

1. PostgreSQL Database (postgres)

• Image: postgres:18-alpine
• Port: 5432 (configurable via POSTGRES_PORT)
• Data: Persisted in postgres_data volume
• Health Check: Automatic readiness probe

2. Cascadia Application (app)

• Build: Multi-stage Dockerfile (builder + production)
• Port: 3000 (configurable via APP_PORT)
• Storage: Persistent volumes for files and vault
• Auto-migration: Runs drizzle-kit push on startup

3. pgAdmin (Optional, pgadmin)

• Profile: tools (not started by default)
• Port: 5050 (configurable via PGADMIN_PORT)
• Purpose: Web-based PostgreSQL administration

Configuration

Environment Variables

All configuration is done through the .env file. Key variables:

Variable	Default	Description
APP_PORT	3000	Application port on host
POSTGRES_DB	cascadia	Database name
POSTGRES_USER	postgres	Database user
POSTGRES_PASSWORD	postgres	Database password (change in production!)
POSTGRES_PORT	5432	PostgreSQL port on host
SESSION_SECRET	(required)	Secure random string for sessions
NODE_ENV	production	Node.js environment

Docker Compose Commands

Start Services

# Start in detached mode
docker-compose up -d

# Start with pgAdmin tool
docker-compose --profile tools up -d

# Start and rebuild images
docker-compose up -d --build

Stop Services

# Stop containers
docker-compose stop

# Stop and remove containers
docker-compose down

# Stop and remove containers + volumes (deletes data!)
docker-compose down -v

View Logs

# All services
docker-compose logs -f

# Specific service
docker-compose logs -f app
docker-compose logs -f postgres

# Last 100 lines
docker-compose logs --tail=100 app

Execute Commands

# Access app container shell
docker-compose exec app sh

# Run database migrations
docker-compose exec app npx drizzle-kit push

# Access PostgreSQL CLI
docker-compose exec postgres psql -U postgres -d cascadia

Database Management

Backup Database

docker-compose exec postgres pg_dump -U postgres cascadia > backup.sql

Restore Database

cat backup.sql | docker-compose exec -T postgres psql -U postgres -d cascadia

Access Database with psql

docker-compose exec postgres psql -U postgres -d cascadia

Use pgAdmin

1. Start with tools profile: docker-compose --profile tools up -d
2. Open http://localhost:5050
3. Login with credentials from .env
4. Add server:
   • Name: Cascadia
   • Host: postgres
   • Port: 5432
   • Database: cascadia
   • Username: postgres
   • Password: (from POSTGRES_PASSWORD)

Production Deployment

Security Checklist

Before deploying to production:

• Change POSTGRES_PASSWORD to a strong password
• Generate a secure SESSION_SECRET (32+ random characters)
• Change PGADMIN_PASSWORD if using pgAdmin
• Set NODE_ENV=production
• Configure proper BASE_URL for your domain
• Enable HTTPS/TLS (use reverse proxy like Nginx or Traefik)
• Set up automated backups
• Configure firewall rules (only expose necessary ports)
• Review and configure OAuth providers if needed
• Set up monitoring and alerting

Recommended Production Setup

1. Use Docker Secrets for sensitive data
2. Use a reverse proxy (Nginx, Traefik, Caddy) for HTTPS/TLS termination
3. Enable resource limits in docker-compose.yml
4. Configure proper logging (JSON logs to stdout)

Volumes

The setup creates persistent volumes:

Volume	Purpose
postgres_data	PostgreSQL database files
app_storage	Uploaded files and attachments
app_vault	Secure document storage
pgadmin_data	pgAdmin configuration

Backup Volumes

# Backup app storage
docker run --rm -v cascadiaapp_app_storage:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine tar czf /backup/storage-backup.tar.gz -C /data .

# Restore app storage
docker run --rm -v cascadiaapp_app_storage:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine tar xzf /backup/storage-backup.tar.gz -C /data

Troubleshooting

Application won't start

1. Check logs: docker-compose logs app
2. Verify database is healthy: docker-compose ps
3. Check environment variables: docker-compose config

Database connection errors

• Ensure DATABASE_URL points to postgres (container name), not localhost
• Verify POSTGRES_PASSWORD matches between services
• Check if PostgreSQL is healthy: docker-compose ps postgres

Port conflicts

If ports 3000 or 5432 are already in use:

1. Edit .env file:

   APP_PORT=3001
   POSTGRES_PORT=5433

2. Restart services:

   docker-compose down
   docker-compose up -d

Rebuild from scratch

# Stop and remove everything
docker-compose down -v

# Remove built images
docker-compose build --no-cache

# Start fresh
docker-compose up -d