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Introduction

Compose App Instance Control is the software component included in the Compose Runtime application that runs on a node and manages Docker Compose application instances. It acts as the bridge between Edge Infrastructure Services management operations and the Docker Compose runtime on the node, translating lifecycle commands into the appropriate Docker Compose actions. When you issue a lifecycle operation to a Docker Compose application instance through Edge Infrastructure Services, Compose App Instance Control receives that operation and executes the corresponding Docker Compose command on the node.

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Prerequisites

  • EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) 14.5.0 or greater on the target node.
  • A Compose Runtime application instance deployed on the node. See Deploy the Compose Runtime Application before deploying Docker Compose applications.
  • You have the SysManager or SysAdmin role in your enterprise. See Manage Roles.

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How It Works

Compose App Instance Control uses a closed-loop management model. The agent process running inside the Compose Runtime application instance continuously monitors the current state of all Docker Compose application instances on the node and compares that state to the desired state defined in Edge Infrastructure Services. When the two states differ, the agent acts to reconcile them.

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Operation mapping

Compose App Instance Control translates Edge Infrastructure Services lifecycle operations into Docker Compose commands as follows: The console labels are the ones shown in the Actions menu on the application instance detail page. See Manage an Application Instance.

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Logs and metrics

Compose App Instance Control forwards logs and metrics generated by Docker Compose application instances to Edge Infrastructure Services. You can view these logs in the application instance detail page in the Logs tab.

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Compose Runtime components

The Compose Runtime application that you deploy to a node includes three components that work together:
  • Compose App Instance Control translates Edge Infrastructure Services management operations into Docker Compose actions and monitors application state.
  • Container runtime stack provides the Docker Engine that creates and manages containers on the node.
  • Compose tool parses the compose.yaml file that defines your application’s services, networks, and storage configuration, and executes the instructions within it.
Together, these components allow Edge Infrastructure Services to fully manage Docker Compose application stacks as first-class edge workloads.

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Key Benefits

  • Lifecycle operations issued in Edge Infrastructure Services automatically propagate to Docker Compose applications running on the node, with no manual intervention required.
  • The closed-loop model ensures that application instances remain in their intended state even after node reboots or transient connectivity interruptions.
  • Logs and metrics from Docker Compose applications are forwarded to Edge Infrastructure Services, providing unified observability across all edge workloads.
  • A single Compose Runtime application instance manages all Docker Compose applications deployed to the same node.

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Next Steps

This article is part of the Docker Compose setup series.
  1. Docker Compose Overview: background on the architecture and deployment model.
  2. Add a Compose Runtime Image: add the Compose Runtime image and create the Edge App bundle with network interfaces.
  3. Deploy the Compose Runtime Application: deploy the Compose Runtime as an application instance on your node.
  4. Attach an Existing ZFS Pool to the Compose Runtime: ZFS variant only. Configure the pool import and dataset discovery.
  5. Compose App Instance Control Overview (you are here).
  6. Add a Docker Compose Image: create the Docker Compose app image that runs inside the Compose Runtime.
  7. Deploy a Docker Compose Application: deploy the Docker Compose app as an application instance on the node that runs the Compose Runtime.
  8. Troubleshoot Docker Compose: diagnose issues with the Compose Runtime or Docker Compose application instances.