01 / THE ROLE
In this lab.
Many lab applications run as Docker Compose stacks inside Linux environments. Compose describes the application containers, networks, mounted data and dependencies. Some foundational services have dedicated environments; related applications can share a general application host.
02 / THE CONNECTIONS
Follow the flow.
- STEP 01Compose definition
- STEP 02Container images
- STEP 03Application containers
- STEP 04Persistent state
03 / How it works
How it works.
The Compose definition is the intended runtime shape, but the installed configuration must still be checked against it. A deployment retrieves the appropriate files and recreates the relevant stack through its existing workflow. A new image and a changed configuration are different changes and should be reviewed separately.
04 / Persistent data & recovery
Persistent data & recovery.
The lab uses a mixture of local bind mounts, Docker volumes and NAS-backed mounts. Container replacement should preserve the required state, but that depends on the mounts actually configured. A volume name alone does not prove what physical storage backs it.
05 / How to check it
How to check it.
Check container state, restart behaviour, resource consumption, expected mounts and the service itself. A container can be running while its database connection, background worker or user-facing function is broken. Inspect the deployed version rather than assuming a tag identifies an immutable image.
06 / Decisions & limits
Decisions & limits.
Compose is straightforward to inspect and fits the current environment. It does not by itself provide application failover across hosts. Kubernetes is being evaluated separately; it is not the current deployment platform.