fab-manager/docker

Install Fabmanager app in production with Docker

This README tries to describe all the steps to put a fabmanager app into production on a server, based on a solution using Docker and Docker-compose. We recommend DigitalOcean, but these steps will work on any Docker-compatible cloud provider or local server.

In order to make it work, please use the same directories structure as described in this guide in your fabmanager app folder. You will need to be root through the rest of the setup.

Table of contents

1. Preliminary steps
   1.1. Setup the server
   1.2. Setup the domain name
   1.3. Connect through SSH
   1.4. Prepare the server
   1.5. Retrieve the initial configuration files
   1.6. Setup folders and env file
   1.7. Setup nginx configuration
   1.8. SSL certificate with LetsEncrypt
   1.9. Requirements
2. Install Fab-manager
   2.1. Add docker-compose.yml file
   2.2. pull images
   2.3. setup database
   2.4. build assets
   2.5. prepare Elasticsearch (search engine)
   2.6. start all services
   2.7. Generate SSL certificate by Let's encrypt
3. Docker utils
4. Update Fab-manager
   5.1. Steps
   5.2. Good to know

Preliminary steps

Setup the server

There are many hosting providers on the internet, providing affordable virtual private serveurs (VPS). Here's a non exhaustive list:

• DigitalOcean
• OVH
• Amazon
• Gandi
• Ikoula
• 1&1
• GoDaddy
• and many others...

Choose one, depending on your budget, on the server's location, on the uptime guarantee, etc.

You will need at least 2GB of addressable memory (RAM + swap) to install and use FabManager. We recommend 4 GB RAM for larger communities.

On DigitalOcean, create a Droplet with One-click apps "Docker on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS". This way, Docker and Docker-compose are preinstalled. Choose a datacenter and set the hostname as your domain name.

With other providers, choose a supported operating system and install docker on it:

• Debian
• Ubuntu

Then install Docker Compose

Setup the domain name

There are many domain name registrars on the internet, you may choose one that fit your needs. You can find an exhaustive list on the ICANN website

1. Once done, buy a domain name on it
2. Replace the IP address of the domain with the IP address of your VPS (This is a DNS record type A)
3. Do not try to access your domain name right away, DNS are not aware of the change yet so WAIT and be patient.

Connect through SSH

You can already connect to the server with this command: ssh root@server-ip. When DNS propagation will be done, you will be able to connect to the server with ssh root@your-domain-name.

Prepare the server

Before installing fab-manager, we recommend you to:

• Upgrade your system
• Setup the server timezone
• Add at least 2GB of swap memory
• Protect your SSH connection by forcing it through a RSA key

You can run the following script as root to easily perform all these operations:

\curl -sSL prepare-vps.sleede.com | bash

Retrieve the initial configuration files

\curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LaCasemate/fab-manager/master/docker/setup.sh | bash

Setup folders and env file

Create the config folder, copy the environnement variables configuration file and edit it:

mkdir -p /apps/fabmanager/config
cd /apps/fabmanager
cp example/env.example config/env
vi config/env
# or use your favorite text editor instead of vi (nano, ne...)

You need to carefully configure each variable before starting fab-manager. Please refer to the environment configuration documentation for explanations about those variables.

Setup nginx configuration

Create the nginx folder, copy the example configuration file and edit it:

mkdir -p /apps/fabmanager/config/nginx
# whether you want you fab-manager to use SSL encryption or not, you should copy one of the following file
### with SSL ### 
cp example/nginx_with_ssl.conf.example config/nginx/fabmanager.conf
### OR without SSL ###
cp example/nginx.conf.example config/nginx/fabmanager.conf

vi config/nginx/fabmanager.conf
# or use your favorite text editor instead of vi (nano, ne...)

Customize the following values:

• Replace MAIN_DOMAIN (example: fab-manager.com).
• Replace URL_WITH_PROTOCOL_HTTPS (example: https://www.fab-manager.com).
• Replace ANOTHER_URL_1, ANOTHER_URL_2 (example: .fab-manager.fr)

SSL certificate with LetsEncrypt

FOLLOW THOSE INSTRUCTIONS ONLY IF YOU WANT TO USE SSL.

If you have chosen the SSL configuration at the previous point, you must follow these instructions to make it work.

Let's Encrypt is a new Certificate Authority that is free, automated, and open. Let’s Encrypt certificates expire after 90 days, so automation of renewing your certificates is important. Here is the setup for a systemd timer and service to renew the certificates and reboot the app Docker container:

Generate the dhparam.pem file

mkdir -p /apps/fabmanager/config/nginx/ssl
cd /apps/fabmanager/config/nginx/ssl
openssl dhparam -out dhparam.pem 4096

Copy the initial configuration file and customize it

cd /apps/fabmanager/
mkdir -p letsencrypt/config/
mkdir -p letsencrypt/etc/webrootauth

cp example/webroot.ini.example /apps/fabmanager/letsencrypt/config/webroot.ini
vi letsencrypt/config/webroot.ini
# or use your favorite text editor instead of vi (nano, ne...)

Run docker pull quay.io/letsencrypt/letsencrypt:latest

Create file (with sudo) /etc/systemd/system/letsencrypt.service and paste the following configuration into it:

[Unit]
Description=letsencrypt cert update oneshot
Requires=docker.service

[Service]
Type=oneshot  
ExecStart=/usr/bin/docker run --rm --name letsencrypt -v "/apps/fabmanager/log:/var/log/letsencrypt" -v "/apps/fabmanager/letsencrypt/etc:/etc/letsencrypt" -v "/apps/fabmanager/letsencrypt/config:/letsencrypt-config" quay.io/letsencrypt/letsencrypt:latest -c "/letsencrypt-config/webroot.ini" certonly
ExecStartPost=-/usr/bin/docker restart fabmanager_nginx_1  

Create file (with sudo) /etc/systemd/system/letsencrypt.timer and paste the following configuration into it:

[Unit]
Description=letsencrypt oneshot timer  
Requires=docker.service

[Timer]
OnCalendar=*-*-1 06:00:00
Persistent=true
Unit=letsencrypt.service

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target

That's all for the moment. Keep on with the installation, we'll complete that part after deployment in the Generate SSL certificate by Let's encrypt.

Requirements

Verify that Docker and Docker-composer are installed : (This is normally the case if you used a pre-configured image.)

docker info
docker-compose -v

Otherwise, follow the instructions provided in the section Setup the server to install.

Install Fabmanager

Add docker-compose.yml file

You should already have a docker-compose.yml file in your app folder /apps/fabmanager. Otherwise, see the section Retrieve the initial configuration files to get it.

The docker-compose commands must be launched from the folder /apps/fabmanager.

pull images

docker-compose pull

setup database

docker-compose run --rm fabmanager bundle exec rake db:create # create the database
docker-compose run --rm fabmanager bundle exec rake db:migrate # run all the migrations
# replace xxx with your default admin email/password
docker-compose run --rm -e ADMIN_EMAIL=xxx -e ADMIN_PASSWORD=xxx fabmanager bundle exec rake db:seed # seed the database

build assets

docker-compose run --rm fabmanager bundle exec rake assets:precompile

prepare Elasticsearch (search engine)

docker-compose run --rm fabmanager bundle exec rake fablab:es_build_stats

start all services

docker-compose up -d

Generate SSL certificate by Let's encrypt

Important: app must be run on http before starting letsencrypt

Start letsencrypt service :

sudo systemctl start letsencrypt.service

If the certificate was successfully generated then update the nginx configuration file and activate the ssl port and certificate editing the file /apps/fabmanager/config/nginx/fabmanager.conf.

Remove your app container and run your app to apply the changes running the following commands:

docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

Finally, if everything is ok, start letsencrypt timer to update the certificate every 1st of the month :

sudo systemctl enable letsencrypt.timer
sudo systemctl start letsencrypt.timer
# check status with
sudo systemctl list-timers

Docker utils with docker-compose

Restart app

docker-compose restart fabmanager

Remove app

docker-compose down fabmanager

Restart all containers

docker-compose restart

Remove all containers

docker-compose down

Start all containers

docker-compose up -d

Open a bash in the app context

docker-compose run --rm fabmanager bash

Show services status

docker-compose ps

Restart nginx container

docker-compose restart nginx

Example of command passing env variables

docker-compose run --rm -e ADMIN_EMAIL=xxx -e ADMIN_PASSWORD=xxx fabmanager bundle exec rake db:seed

Update Fab-manager

This procedure updates fabmanager to the most recent version by default.

Steps

When a new version is available, this is how to update fabmanager app in a production environment, using docker-compose :

1. go to your app folder

   cd /apps/fabmanager

2. pull last docker images

   docker-compose pull

3. stop the app

   docker-compose stop fabmanager

4. remove old assets

   rm -Rf public/assets/

5. compile new assets

   docker-compose run --rm fabmanager bundle exec rake assets:precompile

6. run specific commands

   Do not forget to check if there are commands to run for your upgrade. Those commands are always specified in the CHANGELOG and prefixed by [TODO DEPLOY]. They are also present in the releases page.

   Those commands execute specific tasks and have to be run by hand.

7. restart all containers

     docker-compose down
     docker-compose up -d
   

You can check that all containers are running with docker ps.

Good to know

Is it possible to update several versions at the same time ?

Yes, indeed. It's the default behaviour as docker-compose pull command will fetch the latest versions of the docker images. Be sure to run all the specific commands listed in the CHANGELOG between your actual and the new version in sequential order. (Example: to update from 2.4.0 to 2.4.3, you will run the specific commands for the 2.4.1, then for the 2.4.2 and then for the 2.4.3).