Docker Compose Deployment

Overview

Docker Compose provides a simpler way to manage your Bot Planning deployment by defining all configuration in a single YAML file. This approach is ideal for development and production environments where you want reproducible deployments.

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system
A Discord bot token from Discord Developer Portal
Google Sheets URL for your planning/schedule (exported as CSV)

Docker Compose Setup

Basic Setup
Production Setup
Development Setup

Create a docker-compose.yml file in your project directory:

docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'

services:
  bot-planning:
    build: .
    container_name: bot-planning
    env_file:
      - .env
    restart: always
    logging:
      driver: "json-file"
      options:
        max-size: "10m"
        max-file: "3"

Configuration explained:

build: . - Builds the Docker image from the current directory’s Dockerfile
container_name - Assigns a friendly name for easy management
env_file - Loads environment variables from .env file
restart: always - Automatically restarts the container on failure or system reboot
logging - Limits log file size to prevent disk space issues

For production environments with additional monitoring and resource limits:

docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'

services:
  bot-planning:
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
    image: bot-planning:latest
    container_name: bot-planning
    env_file:
      - .env
    restart: unless-stopped
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: '0.5'
          memory: 512M
        reservations:
          cpus: '0.25'
          memory: 256M
    logging:
      driver: "json-file"
      options:
        max-size: "10m"
        max-file: "5"
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pgrep -f bot.py || exit 1"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3
      start_period: 40s

Additional production features:

restart: unless-stopped - Restarts automatically unless manually stopped
resources - Limits CPU and memory usage to prevent resource exhaustion
healthcheck - Monitors if the bot process is running
Extended logging retention with 5 files instead of 3

For development with live code reloading:

docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'

services:
  bot-planning:
    build: .
    container_name: bot-planning-dev
    env_file:
      - .env
    volumes:
      - .:/app
      - /app/__pycache__
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
    logging:
      driver: "json-file"
      options:
        max-size: "5m"
        max-file: "2"

Development features:

volumes - Mounts local code into container for live editing
PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 - Shows logs in real-time without buffering
Reduced logging retention for development

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml:

.env

DISCORD_TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token_here
EDT_PATH=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/YOUR_SHEET_ID/export?format=csv

Security Tip: Never commit your .env file to version control. Add it to .gitignore to keep your credentials safe.

Deployment Steps

Create Discord Bot

Navigate to the Discord Developer Portal and create a new bot application. Copy your bot token.

Prepare Configuration Files

Create both docker-compose.yml and .env files in your project directory with the appropriate configuration.

Start the Bot

Launch the bot using Docker Compose:

docker-compose up -d

The -d flag runs the container in detached mode (background). Docker Compose will:

Build the Docker image if it doesn’t exist
Create and start the container
Apply all configuration from docker-compose.yml

Verify Deployment

Check container status:

docker-compose ps

View logs:

docker-compose logs

Follow logs in real-time:

docker-compose logs -f

Managing the Deployment

View Status

docker-compose ps

View Logs

# All logs
docker-compose logs

# Follow logs in real-time
docker-compose logs -f

# Last 100 lines
docker-compose logs --tail=100

Stop the Bot

docker-compose stop

This stops the container but preserves it for later restart.

Start the Bot

docker-compose start

Restart the Bot

docker-compose restart

Stop and Remove Containers

docker-compose down

This stops and removes containers, but keeps the built image.

Stop and Remove Everything

docker-compose down --rmi all -v

Removes containers, images, and volumes.

Updating the Bot

When you update the bot code:

Pull Latest Code

If using version control:

git pull

Rebuild and Restart

docker-compose up -d --build

The --build flag forces a rebuild of the image with the new code.

Verify Update

Check logs to ensure the bot started correctly:

docker-compose logs -f

Docker Compose automatically handles stopping the old container and starting the new one, making updates seamless.

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Environment Files

You can use different environment files for different deployments:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  bot-planning:
    build: .
    env_file:
      - .env
      - .env.production

Then run with:

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

Custom Network

If you need the bot to communicate with other containers:

docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'

services:
  bot-planning:
    build: .
    container_name: bot-planning
    env_file:
      - .env
    restart: always
    networks:
      - bot-network

networks:
  bot-network:
    driver: bridge

Volume for Persistent Data

If your bot generates files you want to persist:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  bot-planning:
    build: .
    container_name: bot-planning
    env_file:
      - .env
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - bot-data:/app/data

volumes:
  bot-data:

Restart Policies

Docker Compose supports several restart policies:

Policy	Description	Use Case
`no`	Never restart	Testing only
`always`	Always restart, even after manual stop	Critical production services
`unless-stopped`	Restart unless manually stopped	Most production services
`on-failure`	Restart only if exit code is non-zero	Services with built-in error handling

Recommended: Use unless-stopped for production. This restarts the bot automatically on system reboot but respects manual stops, giving you control during maintenance.

Troubleshooting

Service Fails to Start

View detailed logs:

docker-compose logs bot-planning

Check service status:

docker-compose ps

Configuration Changes Not Applied

Rebuild the image:

docker-compose up -d --build --force-recreate

Port Conflicts

If you need to expose ports and encounter conflicts, modify docker-compose.yml:

services:
  bot-planning:
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"  # host:container

Environment Variables Not Loading

Verify .env file location and format:

cat .env

Ensure no spaces around the = sign:

# Correct
DISCORD_TOKEN=abc123

# Incorrect
DISCORD_TOKEN = abc123

Resource Limits

If the bot is using too many resources, add limits:

services:
  bot-planning:
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: '0.5'
          memory: 512M

Note: Use docker compose (v2) instead of docker-compose (v1) for deploy section to work in standalone mode.

Comparison: Docker vs Docker Compose

Feature	Docker	Docker Compose
Command length	Long, complex	Short, simple
Configuration	Command-line arguments	YAML file
Reproducibility	Manual documentation needed	Self-documented
Multi-container	Complex	Easy
Environment management	`--env-file` flag	Built-in support
Best for	Simple, one-off deployments	Production, team projects

Recommendation: Use Docker Compose for any deployment you plan to maintain long-term. The configuration file serves as documentation and makes deployments consistent across environments.

Getting Started

Configuration

Deployment

Usage

Development

Docker Compose Deployment

Overview

Prerequisites

Docker Compose Setup

Environment Configuration

Deployment Steps

Managing the Deployment

View Status

View Logs

Stop the Bot

Start the Bot

Restart the Bot

Stop and Remove Containers

Stop and Remove Everything

Updating the Bot

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Environment Files

Custom Network

Volume for Persistent Data

Restart Policies

Troubleshooting

Service Fails to Start

Configuration Changes Not Applied

Port Conflicts

Environment Variables Not Loading

Resource Limits

Comparison: Docker vs Docker Compose

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Configuration

Deployment

Usage

Development

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Docker Compose Setup

​Environment Configuration

​Deployment Steps

​Managing the Deployment

​View Status

​View Logs

​Stop the Bot

​Start the Bot

​Restart the Bot

​Stop and Remove Containers

​Stop and Remove Everything

​Updating the Bot

​Advanced Configuration

​Multiple Environment Files

​Custom Network

​Volume for Persistent Data

​Restart Policies

​Troubleshooting

​Service Fails to Start

​Configuration Changes Not Applied

​Port Conflicts

​Environment Variables Not Loading

​Resource Limits

​Comparison: Docker vs Docker Compose

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Prerequisites

Docker Compose Setup

Environment Configuration

Deployment Steps

Managing the Deployment

View Status

View Logs

Stop the Bot

Start the Bot

Restart the Bot

Stop and Remove Containers

Stop and Remove Everything

Updating the Bot

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Environment Files

Custom Network

Volume for Persistent Data

Restart Policies

Troubleshooting

Service Fails to Start

Configuration Changes Not Applied

Port Conflicts

Environment Variables Not Loading

Resource Limits

Comparison: Docker vs Docker Compose