Docker-compose with persistent configuration settings

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1

I'm using Metabase to connect to a SQLite database and it's been working okay with this configuration:

version: '3.3'
services:
    metabase:
        volumes:
            - /home/gregory/gregory/docker-data/:/metabase
        ports:
            - 3000:3000
        # original docker image
        # image: metabase/metabase
        # my docker image with the default users
        image: gregory/metabase
        restart: always

I was reading up on how to run metabase with docker https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/operations-guide/running-metabase-on-docker.html#using-postgres-as-the-metabase-application-database

From what I could understand I need to setup a new service with postgres to save the settings. Is that right?
Or can I just set the env variable to a folder next to the docker-compose?

2

Hi @brunoamaral
You would just set environment variables as recommended by docker-compose.
https://docs.docker.com/compose/environment-variables/

I don't completely understand what you're asking.
If you are currently using H2 as the application database inside the container, then you should migrate away from that, so you don't lose everything if you destroyed the container.
https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/operations-guide/migrating-from-h2.html

3

Thanks for that @flamber, my goal is exacty making sure I don't lose users and dashboards once I restart the container.

Right now this is working:

version: '3.3'
services:
    metabase:
        volumes:
            - /home/gregory/gregory/docker-data/:/metabase
            - ./metabase-data:/metabase-data
        environment:
            - MB_DB_FILE=/metabase-data/metabase.db
        ports:
            - 3000:3000
#       image: metabase/metabase
        image: gregory/metabase
        restart: always

But from what I understood of what you said I should include a postgres image in this docker-compose and run the migration steps.

4

@brunoamaral You should not use H2 in production. Doesn't matter where to store it. Don't use it.
https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/operations-guide/migrating-from-h2.html

I don't know if you have Postgres running somewhere else or not, but that has more to do with how you run your network than anything specific to Metabase.
Here's an example: https://github.com/metabase/metabase/issues/8401#issuecomment-460182635

5

Thank you @flamber :slightly_smiling_face:

For anyone trying to setup metabase with a PG db with docker, the following worked for me:

version: '3.3'

services:
    db:
      image: postgres
      restart: always
      environment:
        - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=PASWORD
        - POSTGRES_USER=USERNAME
        - POSTGRES_DB=DATABASE
      ports:
        - 5432:5432
      volumes:
        - ./db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
      networks:
        - postgres-network
    metabase:
      volumes:
      # setup your SQLITE db (optional)
        - /PATH/TO/SQLITE/:/metabase
        - ./metabase-data:/metabase-data
      environment:
        - MB_DB_FILE=/metabase-data/metabase.db
        - MB_DB_TYPE=postgres
        - MB_DB_DBNAME=DATABASE
        - MB_DB_PORT=5432
        - MB_DB_USER=USERNAME
        - MB_DB_PASS=PASWORD
        - MB_DB_HOST=db
      ports:
        - 3000:3000
      image: metabase/metabase
      restart: always
      depends_on: 
        - db
      networks:
        - postgres-network
networks:
  postgres-network:
    driver: bridge
1 Like
6

@brunoamaral Thank you for sharing. You'll want to remove this, since it's not needed, when you're running on Postgres

        - MB_DB_FILE=/metabase-data/metabase.db
1 Like
7

metabase:
image: metabase/metabase
ports:
- 3000:3000
volumes:
- postgres-db-volume:/metabase-data
tty: true
environment:
MB_DB_TYPE: postgres
MB_DB_DBNAME: test_database
MB_DB_PORT: 5432

Hi, this is my docker-compose however when i run the container, the metabase metadata tables are created in the 'test_database', where it should only be blank.

how to go around this. thank you

8

I think there's some confusion in your docker-compose file, please refer to paoliniluis (paoliniluis) / Repositories · GitHub to see examples of how you should be doing that

9

@flamber Curious question: Why are you so persistent on trying to move the users away from in built H2? What could be the potential issues with that?

10

H2 will corrupt and you will lose everything

11

Besides that, is there any scope for Metabase to stop supporting H2 in future releases?

12

No, we’re not thinking to deprecate h2 anytime soon

13

I recently needed to spin up Metabase at work and have published an up to date compose file with SSL support and following Metabase production best practices: GitHub - jamesgreenblue/metabase-traefik-compose: A docker compose file to deploy a production ready Metabase instance

Feedback welcome in this topic: