Comprehensive guide for self-hosting VeriWorkly utilizing Docker Compose in a production environment.

Docker Production Deployment

VeriWorkly utilizes a standardized Docker Compose configuration to orchestrate its core services, including the Next.js frontend, the Express API, and the Redis cache. This architecture ensures service isolation and consistent operational behavior across different hosting environments.

Database Management

PostgreSQL is not containerized by default. Due to the complexities of production-grade persistence, backups, and volume management, our compose.yaml is configured to utilize an external PostgreSQL instance (e.g., Neon, AWS RDS, or a managed VPS instance).

Deployment Prerequisites

Before initialization, ensure the target environment meets the following requirements:

Docker Engine: Version 24 or higher.
Docker Compose: Version 2 or higher.
External Database: A valid PostgreSQL connection string.

Configuration Protocol

Accurate environment configuration is essential for secure inter-container communication and public accessibility.

Initialize Configuration Files

Generate the required environment files by duplicating the provided examples:

# Docker orchestration configuration
cp .env.docker.example .env.docker

# Frontend and shared configuration
cp .env.example .env

# Backend API configuration
cp apps/server/.env.example apps/server/.env

Configure Network Resolution

Properly define the following variables to ensure correct traffic routing between the user's browser, the frontend, and the API server:

NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL: The publicly accessible endpoint utilized by the client-side browser (e.g., https://api.yourdomain.com/api/v1).
BACKEND_INTERNAL_URL: The internal Docker network address utilized by Next.js for Server-Side Rendering (SSR). Set this to http://api:8080/api/v1.

Deployment Execution

Build and Orchestrate Services

Execute the following command from the root directory to build the application images and launch the services in detached mode:

docker compose --env-file .env.docker up -d --build

Verify Operational Status

Review the status of the containerized services and monitor system logs to confirm successful initialization and database connectivity:

# View service status
docker compose ps

# Monitor unified logs
docker compose logs -f

# Monitor specific service (API)
docker compose logs -f api

Production Security and Optimization

Exposing application ports directly to the internet is not recommended for production deployments. We strongly advise utilizing a Reverse Proxy / TLS Terminator (e.g., Nginx, Traefik, or Caddy) to manage:

SSL/TLS Termination: Ensuring all traffic is encrypted via HTTPS.
Domain Routing: Mapping subdomains (e.g., api.example.com) to the appropriate internal ports.
Request Filtering: Providing an additional layer of security against common web-based attacks.

Maintenance and Updates

To update your VeriWorkly deployment with the latest stable release:

# Retrieve latest source code
git pull origin main

# Rebuild and restart services
docker compose --env-file .env.docker up -d --build

Docker Production Deployment

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