rConfig V8 Pro Docker Deployment: Containerized Network Management Setup

rConfig V8 Pro Docker Deployment: Containerized Network Management Setup

Introduction

rConfig V8 Professional is an enterprise-grade Network Configuration Management (NCM) platform designed for comprehensive configuration management across heterogeneous network environments of any scale. This guide provides deployment procedures for rConfig V8 Professional using Docker containerization and links to supporting resources such as the full installation guide and the update process.

Prerequisites: Before proceeding, ensure you have reviewed the Operating System Configuration guide and Security Hardening guidelines for container deployment best practices.

rConfig V6 Core Docker Deployment

rConfig V6 Core represents the community edition of rConfig. Deployment documentation is maintained in the GitHub repository. Consult the repository for complete installation procedures and configuration guidance.

Complete the rConfig Professional Docker deployment by executing the following procedures. All commands require root user privileges. For organizations operating in offline environments, consult the V8 Pro Offline Installation instructions.

1. Clone the Repository
2. Authenticate to rConfig Registry
3. Configure Environment Variables
4. Initialize rConfig Docker Container
5. Verify Container Operational Status
6. Complete In-Container Installation
7. Restart Docker Container
8. Access rConfig V8 Professional

SSL/TLS Configuration

SSL/TLS encryption is not configured during default rConfig deployment. SSL/TLS implementation is strongly recommended and may utilize organizational PKI infrastructure or certificate authorities such as Let’s Encrypt. SSL/TLS configuration methodology is deferred to organizational security policies and infrastructure requirements. Contact rConfig support for SSL/TLS implementation assistance for your rConfig V8 deployment. Configuration guidance is available in the SSL Configuration Documentation.

Docker Deployment Overview

Note

rConfig V8 Professional is a commercial product requiring an active subscription. Purchase subscriptions through: rConfig Pricing. A valid license key is required for Docker image download and execution. For additional information, contact [email protected].

Prerequisites

Prior to commencing installation, verify the following requirements:

1. Docker and Docker Compose are installed and operational on the target server
2. The data directory must be writable by the web server user within the Docker container; contents from the repository data directory should be replicated to the server data directory. The repository may be cloned to facilitate this process.
3. rConfig Professional Subscription is required for private registry access. Verify valid registry credentials are available.
4. Administrative access (root user privileges) is required for script execution.

Deployment Procedures

Clone the Repository

Clone the rConfig V8 Docker repository to the target server:

git clone https://github.com/rconfig/rconfig8docker.git
cd rconfig8docker

Authenticate to rConfig Registry

Authenticate with the rConfig private Docker registry to access the rConfig container image. A valid rConfig Professional subscription is required for registry access. Credentials are provided by rConfig support.

docker login reg.rconfig.com:8443
Username: robot$rconfig+yourname
Password: # Enter provided credentials

Configure Environment Variables

Navigate to the data directory and configure the .env file with environment-specific parameters:

APP_DEBUG=true/false
APP_URL=http://yourFQDNorIP.domain.com
DB_HOST=db  # Database container or external database server
DB_PORT=ENVOY_DB_PORT
DB_DATABASE=ENVOY_DB_DATABASE
DB_USERNAME=ENVOY_DB_USERNAME
DB_PASSWORD=ENVOY_DB_PASSWORD
RCONFIG_API_TOKEN=ENVOY_API_TOKEN

Initialize rConfig Docker Container

Initialize the container using the following command:

# Use either 'docker compose' (plugin version) or 'docker-compose' (standalone version)
docker-compose up -d

Note: Docker Compose may be invoked using either:

• docker compose up -d (Docker Compose plugin - current standard)
• docker-compose up -d (Docker Compose standalone binary - legacy method)

Both commands execute identical functionality, starting containers in detached mode.

Verify Container Operational Status

Verify container execution status:

docker ps

Complete In-Container Installation

Execute the following commands within the Docker container:

# Enter the container (substitute container name if different)
docker exec -it rconfig8docker-app-1 bash

# Execute artisan commands to complete installation:
php artisan migrate
php artisan key:generate
php artisan passport:install  # Respond affirmatively to all prompts
php artisan rconfig:sync-tasks

# Configure storage directory permissions
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage
chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage

# Clear configuration cache and update RBAC data
php artisan rconfig:clear-all
php artisan rconfig:update-rbac-data

Restart Docker Container

Following configuration completion, restart the Docker container:

# Use either 'docker compose' (plugin version) or 'docker-compose' (standalone version)
docker-compose up -d

Note: Docker Compose may be invoked using either:

• docker compose up -d (Docker Compose plugin - current standard)
• docker-compose up -d (Docker Compose standalone binary - legacy method)

Access rConfig V8 Professional

Access the rConfig V8 Professional interface at the URL configured in the .env file. Upon successful installation completion, authenticate to the server using the following default credentials:

• Username: [email protected]
• Password: admin

After first login, follow the security hardening guidance to align the container with enterprise policies.

Next Steps:

• Understand V8 Features and Capabilities
• Review Update Procedures
• Consider Vector Server Upgrade for enhanced capabilities

Post-Installation Verification

Following initial authentication, execute these verification procedures:

1. Modify the default account credentials for security compliance
2. Navigate to External Tools > Queue Manager and verify Queue Manager active status on the dashboard
3. Execute supervisorctl status via CLI to verify all services are operational. Expected output:

apache2                          RUNNING   pid 7, uptime 0:13:28
horizon                          RUNNING   pid 8, uptime 0:13:28
redis-server                     RUNNING   pid 10, uptime 0:13:27
schedule-run:schedule-run_00     RUNNING   pid 12, uptime 0:13:27

Note for advanced administrators: Cron must execute the php artisan schedule:run command every minute. This is managed by the schedule-run:schedule-run_00 supervisord service within the Docker container.

Administrative Account Security

Establish a new administrative user account through the settings interface as an initial configuration step. Remove the default administrative account after verifying the new account has appropriate privileges and authentication functions correctly.

Docker Container Update Procedures

Registry Version Discovery

To identify available versions in the rConfig registry:

# Verify registry authentication
docker login reg.rconfig.com:8443

# List available tags/versions (functionality varies by registry implementation)
# Alternative: Request available versions from rConfig support

Available Versions

Contact [email protected] for available container versions and tags if registry browsing commands are not supported by your configuration. The :latest tag references the most recent stable release.

Update to Latest Version

Step 1: Stop Current Container

# Use either 'docker compose' (plugin version) or 'docker-compose' (standalone version)
docker compose down

Step 2: Backup Data (Recommended)

Prior to updating, create backups of the data directory and database:

# Backup data directory
tar -czf rconfig-data-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ./data

# Backup database (for external database configurations)
# mysqldump -u username -p database_name > rconfig-db-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

Step 3: Retrieve Latest Container Image

# Pull the latest version
docker compose pull

# Or retrieve a specific version by updating docker-compose.yml
# Modify the image tag in docker-compose.yml from 'latest' to the desired version
# Example: reg.rconfig.com:8443/rconfig8:v8.1.0
docker compose pull

Step 4: Deploy Updated Container

# Initialize the updated container
docker compose up -d

Step 5: Execute Database Migrations (If Required)

Some updates require database schema migrations. Execute within the container:

# Enter the container
docker exec -it rconfig8docker-app-1 bash

# Execute migrations (only if required for the specific update)
php artisan migrate

# Clear application caches
php artisan rconfig:clear-all

# Update RBAC data if necessary
php artisan rconfig:update-rbac-data

Step 6: Verify Update Completion

Verify all services are operational:

# Verify container status
docker ps

# Verify services within container
docker exec -it rconfig8docker-app-1 supervisorctl status

Expected service status:

apache2                          RUNNING   pid 7, uptime 0:13:28
horizon                          RUNNING   pid 8, uptime 0:13:28
redis-server                     RUNNING   pid 10, uptime 0:13:27
schedule-run:schedule-run_00     RUNNING   pid 12, uptime 0:13:27

Rollback Procedures (If Required)

If issues occur with the updated version:

# Stop current container
docker compose down

# Modify docker-compose.yml to specify the previous functional version
# Example: reg.rconfig.com:8443/rconfig8:v8.0.5

# Retrieve the previous version
docker compose pull

# Initialize with previous version
docker compose up -d

# Restore data backup if necessary
tar -xzf rconfig-data-backup-YYYYMMDD.tar.gz

Update Considerations

Always review release notes prior to updating to understand breaking changes or special migration requirements. Test updates in non-production environments when operationally feasible.