time to set a production target for docker-compose

[itheodoridis]

Although I know that docker-compose is often considered a dev environment by the IT industry because of scaling, with most consultants advising a use of Kubernetes or other container orchestration platform that supports scaling, for a lot of smaller businesses, especially in Europe, that is simply inaccurate. A lot of companies/businesses prefer to run such environments in Docker and use Docker-compose simply because of their smaller scale that doesn't justify the use of such a complex platform. I believe it's time to consider a small scale production environment as target for the docker-compose implementation of Nautobot. That would address several issues, in my opinion these are the most important:

• Which nautobot components should be included as nautobot services separately in docker-compose.yml. Is Celery beat one of them? If so, a proper set of settings should be defined and verified.
• Which are the dependecies for each service? A proper boot order should be defined.
• A variation of a docker-compose file with Nginx in front, as well as a typical nginx default conf should be defined, to be alligned with the installation instructions of Nautobot on VM/physical.
• An update of the nautobot versions tested with this setup should be included in the repo documentation.

[itheodoridis]

I can help with proposed configs for some of the services (e.g. nginx) compared to what I am using now on production and examples of docker-compose and Dockerfile that I use in production and offer to test others in lab (but close to production), but I am not to be considered an expert on Docker/Nautobot/Nginx or the like. I am more of an educated lab rat at a CCNP/CCDevP level with a few years of admin experience and a crazy eye (willing to try things). I guess I am not the target of the 'help wanted' tag but I am willing to offer at least help in testing. Let me know.

[jdrew82]

This is absolutely spot on and was part of the intention behind refactoring the project to use Poetry. I'll be working to get documentation in place for making the compose project production worthy.

[itheodoridis]

Thank you for all the work and the help Justin, I am here to help as stated already. Great job so far on the repo and the existing documentation!