Docker Compose Environment

Plugin Type: Network Environment Source Location: plugins/environments/network_environment/docker_compose/

Overview

The Docker Compose Environment plugin provides containerized network environments for testing protocol implementations in isolated, reproducible settings. It leverages Docker Compose to create multi-container applications, enabling complex network topologies and controlled testing environments. The environment builds individual service images, generates docker-compose.yml with proper service definitions, sets up isolated networks, and manages shared volumes.

[!WARNING] This plugin requires Docker Engine (27.03.0+) and Docker Compose (v1.27.0+) to be installed and accessible. Ensure your user has proper Docker permissions.

Configuration Options

network_environment:
  type: "docker_compose"
  version: "3.8"              # Docker Compose file version
  network_name: "test_net"    # Name of the Docker network
  service_prefix: "panther_"  # Optional prefix for service names
  volumes:                    # Optional volume mappings
    - "/path/on/host:/path/in/container"
  environment:                # Optional environment variables
    ENV_VAR: "value"

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
type	string	Yes	-	Must be "docker_compose"
version	string	No	"3.8"	Docker Compose file version
network_name	string	No	"default_network"	Name of the Docker network
service_prefix	string	No	None	Prefix added to all service names
volumes	list	No	[]	List of volume mappings
environment	dict	No	{}	Environment variables for all containers

Usage Example

tests:
  - name: "Basic Network Test"
    network_environment:
      type: "docker_compose"
      network_name: "test_network"
    services:
      server:
        name: "http_server"
        implementation:
          name: "nginx"
          type: "iut"
      client:
        name: "http_client"
        implementation:
          name: "curl"
          type: "tester"

Integration

• Integrates with the PANTHER event management system for lifecycle coordination
• Works with all service plugins (IUT and tester) for deploying containerized services
• Supports volume sharing for logs, certificates, and synchronization between containers
• Requires Docker Engine and Docker Compose accessible from the host

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Docker network conflicts	Ensure unique network names or use service_prefix
Permission issues	Run with appropriate Docker permissions or use sudo
Container communication failures	Check Docker network settings and service configurations
Timeouts during container startup	Increase service timeout values in configuration

For more detailed debugging, set logging.level: DEBUG in your experiment configuration and use docker compose logs to view container logs.