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Introduction

A Docker Compose image defines a multi-container application packaged as a TAR archive. The archive contains a docker-compose.yml file and any supporting files bundled together. Edge Infrastructure Services stores the archive and makes it available for deployment to nodes that run Docker Compose workloads. The image uses RAW format automatically. Use the Docker Compose type when you need to deploy a multi-container workload defined by a Compose file, with all required context files bundled in a single TAR archive.

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Prerequisites

  • You have the SysManager or SysAdmin role in your enterprise. See Manage Roles.
  • A Compose Runtime image added to your enterprise and a Compose Runtime Edge App bundle created with two network interfaces. See Add a Compose Runtime Image for instructions. Docker Compose app images run inside the Compose Runtime, so the runtime must be in place before you deploy a Docker Compose application instance.
  • For Upload: you have the .tar archive available locally.
  • For Uplink: you have the SHA-256 hash, file size, and a configured datastore that hosts the archive.

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Open the Image Type Selector

  1. In the sidebar, navigate to Infrastructure > Workloads > Build > App Images.
  2. Click New App Image.
  3. On the Add Edge App Image screen, click Docker Compose.

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Review Image Details

In the Image Details section, a note confirms that Docker Compose archives use RAW format automatically. No format or architecture selection is required for this image type. Click Next.

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Provide Storage Details

In the Storage section, define where the archive comes from.

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Upload

To upload a TAR archive from your local machine:
  1. In the Add Image Via field, select Upload.
  2. In the Image Path field, enter a file name for the archive (for example, my-compose-app.tar). This value is used as the image identifier on the platform.
  3. Click Choose File and select the .tar archive from your local machine.
  4. In the Data Store field, select the datastore where the uploaded archive will be stored.
Click Next. To reference a TAR archive already stored in a datastore:
  1. In the Add Image Via field, select Uplink manually.
  2. In the SHA256 field, enter the 64-character hexadecimal SHA-256 hash of the archive.
  3. In the Image Size field, enter the file size and select the appropriate unit (Bytes, KB, MB, GB, or TB).
  4. In the Datastores field, select the datastore where the archive is stored.
  5. After selecting a datastore, enter the Image Relative URL: the path to the archive within the datastore.
Click Next.

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Complete General Information

  1. In the Name field, enter a unique identifier. The name must be at least three characters. Use alphanumeric characters and hyphens (for example, my-compose-app).
  2. In the Title field, enter a human-readable display name. The title must be at least three characters.
  3. Optionally, in the Description field, enter a description of up to 256 characters.

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Add the Image

Click Add Image.
  • If you selected Upload, the platform uploads the .tar archive and shows a progress bar with the upload percentage.
  • If you selected Uplink manually, the platform initiates the uplink and the image status changes to Uplinking.

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Verify the Configuration

After you add the image:
  1. Navigate to Infrastructure > Workloads > Build > App Images and open the new image.
  2. On the Details tab, confirm the status reaches Ready after the upload or uplink completes.
  3. On the Source tab, verify the SHA-256 hash and datastore association.

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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: how the Compose Runtime manages Docker Compose application lifecycles.
  6. Add a Docker Compose Image (you are here).
  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.