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What is ArangoDB?
ArangoDB is a multi-model, open-source database with flexible data models for documents, graphs, and key-values. Build high performance applications using a convenient SQL-like query language or JavaScript extensions. Use ACID transactions if you require them. Scale horizontally and vertically with a few mouse clicks.
The supported data models can be mixed in queries and allow ArangoDB to be the aggregation point for the data request you have in mind.
%%LOGO%%
##Key Features in ArangoDB
Multi-Model Documents, graphs and key-value pairs — model your data as you see fit for your application.
Joins Conveniently join what belongs together for flexible ad-hoc querying, less data redundancy.
Transactions Easy application development keeping your data consistent and safe. No hassle in your client.
Joins and Transactions are key features for flexible, secure data designs, widely used in RDBMSs that you won't want to miss in NoSQL products. You decide how and when to use Joins and strong consistency guarantees, keeping all the power for scaling and performance as choice.
Furthermore, ArangoDB offers a microservice framework called Foxx to build your own Rest API with a few lines of code.
ArangoDB Documentation
How to use this image
Start an ArangoDB instance
In order to start an ArangoDB instance run
unix> docker run -d --name arangodb-instance arangodb
Will create and launch the arangodb docker instance as background process. The Identifier of the process is printed - the plain text name will be arangodb-instance as you stated above. By default ArangoDB listen on port 8529 for request and the image includes EXPOST 8529. If you link an application container it is automatically available in the linked container. See the following examples.
In order to get the IP arango listens on run:
docker inspect --format '{{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}' arangodb-instance
Using the instance
In order to use the running instance from an application, link the container
unix> docker run --name my-arangodb-app --link arangodb-instance:db-link arangodb
This will use the instance with the name arangodb-instance and link it into the application container. The application container will contain environment variables
DB_LINK_PORT_8529_TCP=tcp://172.17.0.17:8529
DB_LINK_PORT_8529_TCP_ADDR=172.17.0.17
DB_LINK_PORT_8529_TCP_PORT=8529
DB_LINK_PORT_8529_TCP_PROTO=tcp
DB_LINK_NAME=/naughty_ardinghelli/db-link
These can be used to access the database.
Exposing the port to the outside world
If you want to expose the port to the outside world, run
unix> docker run -p 8529:8529 -d arangodb
ArangoDB listen on port 8529 for request and the image includes EXPOST 8529. The -p 8529:8529 exposes this port on the host.
Persistent Data
ArangoDB use the volume /var/lib/arangodb as database directory to store the collection data and the volume /var/lib/arangodb-apps as apps directory to store any extensions. These directories are marked as docker volumes.
A good explanation about persistence and docker container can be found here: Docker In-depth: Volumes, Why Docker Data Containers are Good
Using host directories
You can map the container's volumes to a directory on the host, so that the data is kept between runs of the container. This path /tmp/arangodb is in general not the correct place to store you persistent files - it is just an example!
unix> mkdir /tmp/arangodb
unix> docker run -p 8529:8529 -d \
-v /tmp/arangodb:/var/lib/arangodb \
arangodb
This will use the /tmp/arangodb directory of the host as database directory for ArangoDB inside the container.
Using a custom ArangoDB configuration file
The ArangoDB startup configuration is specified in the file /etc/arangodb/arangodb.conf. If you want to use a customized ArangoDB configuration, you can create your alternative configuration file in a directory on the host machine and then mount that directory location as /etc/arangodb inside the %%REPO%% container.
If /my/custom/arangod.conf is the path of your arangodb configuration file, you can start your %%REPO%% container like this:
docker run --name some-%%REPO%% -v /my/custom:/etc/arangodb -d %%REPO%%:tag
This will start a new container some-%%REPO%% where the ArangoDB instance uses the startup settings from your config file instead of the default one.
Note that users on host systems with SELinux enabled may see issues with this. The current workaround is to assign the relevant SELinux policy type to your new config file so that the container will be allowed to mount it:
chcon -Rt svirt_sandbox_file_t /my/custom
Using a data container
Alternatively you can create a container holding the data.
unix> docker run -d --name arangodb-persist -v /var/lib/arangodb debian:8.0 true
And use this data container in your ArangoDB container.
unix> docker run --volumes-from arangodb-persist -p 8529:8529 arangodb
If want to save a few bytes you can alternatively use hello-world, busybox or alpine for creating the volume only containers. For example:
unix> docker run -d --name arangodb-persist -v /var/lib/arangodb alpine alpine