Set Up WordPress as microservices using docker

Introduction:

Setting up WordPress as microservices using Docker involves breaking down WordPress into distinct services (e.g., database, and WordPress application) and managing them with Docker containers. In this post, we will go through a Docker Compose configuration that sets up a WordPress site in minutes.

What is Docker Compose?

Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. Using a YAML file, you can configure your application’s services, networks, and volumes, making the process of setting up and managing containers much easier.

The Docker Compose YAML File

Here’s the configuration file we’ll be explaining:

version: '3.8'

services:
  wordpress_db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    container_name: wordpress_db_container
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
      MYSQL_USER: wordpress
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: wordpress
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    networks:
      - wordpress_network

  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    container_name: wordpress_container
    ports:
      - "8080:80"  # Expose WordPress on host port 8080
    volumes:
      - wordpress_data:/var/www/html
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: wordpress_db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: wordpress
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: wordpress
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress
    networks:
      - wordpress_network

networks:
  wordpress_network:

volumes:
  wordpress_data:
  db_data:

Custom Network wordpress_network will enable to access website from host. Data will be saved on persistent storage, for this to happen create wordpress_data and db_data directory on the same location as docker-compose.yml file.

Understanding the Compose File

1. Version Definition The file starts with the version 3.8, ensuring compatibility with modern Docker Compose features.

version: '3.8'

2. Services: Building the Application

This Compose file defines two services: a database service (wordpress_db) and the WordPress application itself (wordpress).

• Database Service The database service uses the MySQL 5.7 image, with predefined credentials and a persistent storage volume to retain data.

wordpress_db:
  image: mysql:5.7
  container_name: wordpress_db_container
  environment:
    MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
    MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
    MYSQL_USER: wordpress
    MYSQL_PASSWORD: wordpress
  volumes:
    - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
  networks:
    - wordpress_network

WordPress Service The WordPress service connects to the database and exposes the application on http://localhost:8080. Persistent storage ensures customizations like themes and plugins aren’t lost.

wordpress:
  image: wordpress:latest
  container_name: wordpress_container
  ports:
    - "8080:80"
  volumes:
    - wordpress_data:/var/www/html
  environment:
    WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: wordpress_db:3306
    WORDPRESS_DB_USER: wordpress
    WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: wordpress
    WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress
  networks:
    - wordpress_network

3. Networking A custom network, wordpress_network, ensures secure communication between the WordPress and database containers.

networks:
  wordpress_network:

4. Persistent Storage Named volumes (wordpress_data and db_data) store WordPress files and database records, preventing data loss.

volumes:
  wordpress_data:
  db_data:

Conclusion

With this docker-compose.yml file, deploying WordPress becomes straightforward. Simply run docker-compose up -d to start the application. Enjoy the simplicity of Docker Compose as it handles the heavy lifting for you!