Instant Up. Timely Down. Simple web-based Docker container reservation platform.
With this Web app, users permitted to access the app can easily reserve Docker containers with hardware resources needed for their projects. The user can select the start and end time for the container reservation. Multiple servers can be integrated for reservations.
Users can login with username & password combination, or through LDAP. Includes also admin-level management tools in the web app.
Originally created in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences to give AI students a solution to handle their AI calculating in a dedicated server.
This project has been featured in the following academic publications:
- Containers on the Fly: A Web-Based Docker Container Reservation Platform - IEEE Access, 2024
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- Getting Started
- Additional Tasks
- Technical Details
The installation is split into two parts: main server and container server.
- Main server contains the web interface, database, and local docker registry.
- Container server handles starting, stopping, and restarting the reserved containers.
The container server is recommended to be installed to the same server as the main server, at least on the first install. This single-server setup is the easiest way to get up and running quickly, requiring minimal configuration and infrastructure. The container server can be deployed later to dedicated separate servers that will be used specifically for hosting and managing reserved containers. You can have unlimited amount of separate container servers from which users can reserve virtual machines.
Main server contains the web interface, database, local docker registry. Follow these steps to install the main server:
- Create a fresh
Ubuntu 24.04server (NOTE! It is mandatory to use Ubuntu version 24.04) - Install the Main Server
- Install the Container Server
- Create reservable containers (images)
By default, the setting ADD_TEST_DATA is set to true (we recommend setting it like this), which sets up the server machine, adds default docker images and adds default admin and a regular user accounts to the system automatically. The default accounts are as follows:
username: admin@foo.com
password: test
username: user@foo.com
password: test
If you change any settings in the user_config/settings file, just run these commands again to apply the settings and to restart the servers in the main server:
make start-main-server
make start-docker-utility
To update the software to latest version:
- Run
git pullto pull latest changes to the application codebase - If there were no changes pulled, then you don't need to proceed further. Otherwise, proceed further below
In the main server, run these:
sudo make setup-main-server
sudo make setup-docker-utility
make start-main-server
make start-docker-utility
After that, update each additional container server (if any). On each additional container server (if any), run:
git pull
sudo make setup-docker-utility
make start-docker-utility
Note that this step is only required to be followed if you have multiple (physical) servers and want reservations to be made from multiple different servers.
After the main server has been installed, it is possible to create more Ubuntu 24.04 servers in which the container server can run and from which container reservations can be made. If you wish to expand the main server with additional container servers, then in another servers you need to:
- Create a fresh
Ubuntu 24.04server (NOTE! It is mandatory to use Ubuntu version 24.04) - Run command
sudo make allow-container-server IP=CONTAINER_SERVER_IPin the main server to allow connection from the container server to the main server - Add the computer through the main server admin web interface (Computers -> Create new Computer). Make a note of the name that you set for the computer as you need to configure this in your settings file.
- Install the Container Server in the new server
If you change any settings in the user_config/settings file, just run this command again to apply the settings and to restart the container server:
make start-docker-utility
Review the section for Main Server on how to update the software on the container server.
Heads up! The automatic installation script for the main server only works with Ubuntu Linux 24.04. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (or even mandatory) to use a fresh Ubuntu installation, due to various software being installed and configured.
Before proceeding, make sure you are logged in as the user with which you want to setup the Main Server. The user should have sudo permissions. For example: containeruser. Do NOT install the script while logged in as the root user, this can cause security issues.
The installation procedure of the Main Server (web servers, database, local Docker registry, setting up firewall) is as follows:
Suppose you have an external firewall in front of your server (for example, you have the server hosted on an Azure VM, Google Cloud VM, Amazon VM, or any other hardware firewall in front of your server). In that case, you need to open these ports at least to be allowed into the server:
5000(TCP/HTTP, for Docker Registry on the main server)80and443for HTTP / HTTPS connection to the server web interface and possible Let's Encrypt SSL certificate renewal2000-3000(default) or the range of ports from which you want to host the reserved servers, which can be configured in the settings file. These services can be any, usually SSH, but could be HTTP, HTTPS, etc...3306(TCP, for MariaDB database connection to the main server from the container servers)
Install required APT packages:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install make lsb-release python3 python3-pip python3-venv software-properties-common
Start setting up the main server and it's dependencies with:
sudo make setup-main-serverNote that after the initial setup the script asks you to review the
user_config/settingsfile. You should do it before you finish the installation.
After the main server setup is complete, run all the main server dependencies with:
make start-main-serverThat's it! Now you should be able to access the web interface using a browser. There will be more information printed on your console after running the make start-main-server command. If the servers crash or something happens, then you should only need to run the make start-main-server command again.
You should start by logging in as an administrator (default username admin@foo.com and password test), and start configuring the settings for the application through the web interface.
Heads up! The automatic installation script for the container server only works with Ubuntu Linux 24.04. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (or even mandatory) to use a fresh Ubuntu installation, due to various software being installed and configured.
Before proceeding, make sure you are logged in as the user with which you want to setup the Container Server. The user should have sudo permissions. For example: containeruser. Do NOT install the script while logged in as the root user, this can cause security issues.
Suppose you have an external firewall in front of your server (for example, you have the server hosted on an Azure VM, Google Cloud VM, Amazon VM, or any other hardware firewall in front of your server). In that case, you need to open these ports at least to be allowed into the server:
2000-3000(default) or the range of ports from which you want to host the reserved servers, which can be configured in the settings file. These services can be any, usually SSH, but could be HTTP, HTTPS, etc...
Install required APT packages:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install make lsb-release python3 python3-pip python3-venv software-properties-common
Set up the docker utility with:
sudo make setup-docker-utilityNote that after the initial setup the script asks you to review the
user_config/settingsfile. You should do it before you finish the installation.
It is required to restart the server after finishing the installation of the Docker utility.
After the setup is complete and the server has been restarted, run the Docker utility with:
make start-docker-utilityThat's it! If the container crashes or something happens to the utility, then you should only need to run the make start-docker-utility command again.
After the setup is complete, run the main server dependencies with:
make start-main-serverThat's it! Now you should be able to access the web interface using a browser. There will be more information printed on your console after running the make start-main-server command.
Using the admin interface, user can add new containers. These containers still require an image added to it manually.
The process of adding an image that users can reserve is as follows:
- Create the image in the admin interface. This can be done using the Containers section.
- Create a new container and make a note of the image name. By default, you should add at least the SSH port for the image (service name: SSH, port: 22). Make the image public in order for users to reserve it.
- Create image for the container in the server where you have the Main Server installed. Copy the file
DockerfileContainerExampleto some safe location and make your own modifications to the image as required. - In the same folder where you copied the file
DockerfileContainerExample, run these two commands to build the image and push it to local Docker registry, replacing the IMAGENAME with the name of your image in the admin web interface:
docker build -t YOUR_DOCKER_REGISTRY_IP:5000/IMAGENAME:latest -f DockerfileContainerExample .
docker push YOUR_DOCKER_REGISTRY_IP:5000/IMAGENAME:latestAnd that's it. Now you should be able to reserve the container!
If you wish to use LDAP for the login, then configure the LDAP in the user_config/settings file. Example settings are commented in the file.
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The app is split into two projects: frontend and backend. The frontend can be located from webapp/frontend and backend from webapp/backend. Both the frontend and backend will run on different ports. The backend also includes a separate script for starting and stopping the reserved containers, called dockerUtil.py.
The frontend has been developed using Vue 2.
The backend has been developed using Python 3, SQLAlchemy and FastAPI.
The backend also includes a tool called dockerUtil.py that handles starting and stopping the reserved containers.