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A step by step guide to install a docker

July 27, 2022
A step by step guide to install a docker
Mitesh Patel
Mitesh Patel
Technical Head
step-by-step-guide-to-install-docker

For installing a docker, first of all these are certain prerequisites and requirements that you must fulfil. They are:

  1. Enable Windows features
  2. Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName containers -All
  3. Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V –All

Alternative option would be to enable the features above from the Turn Windows features on and off!

How to install the docker?
  • Download the docker from
    https://www.docker.com/get-started
  • If you have a windows server, you can ever try installing the docker from PowerShell using a module.
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscontainers/quick-start/set-up-environment?tabs=Windows-Server)
  • Please note, if you install the docker like shown above, you need to edit/create the needed configuration file manually (as it does not exist by default). Read more here: (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscontainers/manage-docker/configure-docker-daemon*)
  • Sample Docker config:
    {
    "dns": ["8.8.8.8"],
    "data-root": "d:\\docker-data",
    "debug": false,
    "hosts": [],
    "registry-mirrors": [],
    "insecure-registries": []
    }
  • Make sure that virtualization is enabled in your BIOS (in case of a VM you cannot do this)
  • After the docker has been installed successfully, you have to switch to Windows containers.
  • Open the Docker desktop menu by right clicking on the icon in the taskbar Click on Switch to Windows Containers.
  • Copy Sitecore License to **c:\license folder**, so your license should be available on** c:\license\license.xml** path.
  • Please make sure you are using a valid, up to date license file! If at all you are not sure, reach out to the team.
  • If you have locally installed Solr which listens to the 8984 port, you have to stop that Solr Instance.
  • If your local IIS is listening on port 443, you will need to stop it.
  • This requires an elevated PowerShell or command prompt. iisreset /stop.
  • If you are using a newer Docker than 3.4.0, you should disable V2 compose features by the following command.
    ```
    docker-compose disable-v2
    ```
  • If you used PowerShell to install the Docker Engine (e.g.: on a Windows Server) you need to install Docker Compose by hand:(https://docs.docker.com/compose/install/ and it won't be the Compose CLI).
Required & Optional Docker Configuration

Optional: Changing the Docker data location. (e.g moving the data folder to a different drive)

  • Add "data-root":"d:\\docker-data" node to the Docker Engine settings (obviously change the drive letter to the one you use/have).

Required: If the application within the container cannot access internet (e.g.: calling Jitterbit)

  • Add "dns":["8.8.8.8"] node to the Docker Engine settings
    (this is Google's DNS IP address).
How to spin up the project?
  • If you have IIS running, stop it
  • Open PowerShell (or CMD) in Administrator mode
  • Checkout the project from this repository
  • Create a copy of the **.env-template** file, and name it to **.env** (.env file is on GitIgnore)
  • Call init.ps1 PowerShell script
  • Important!
  • This step will register sitename.localhost and id.sitename.localhost URL in your host file and it will point to 127.0.0.
    ```
  • .\init.ps1
    ```
  • If you get a Warning window, you can accept it and add the certificates:
  • ![Certprompt](documentation/certprompt.png)
  • Type the following command to spin up the site

  • ```
  • docker-compose up -d

  • ```

(If this is the first time when you start the site, you may need to restart CM container to flush SC caches, otherwise SXA site will not be served/found)

  • Stopping containers:
    ```
    docker-compose down --remove-orphans

So, this was a step-by-step guide on how to install a docker!


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