How to Install Exalate for Azure DevOps on Docker?

Exalate App for Azure DevOps can be installed on the server using Docker.

Steps to Install Exalate for Azure DevOps on Docker

1. Create a docker-compose.

Create a directory that would hold the docker-compose file:

cd ~
mkdir exalate-azurenode

Create a docker-compose.yml file in it: 

version: '2'
services:
  database:
    restart: unless-stopped
    image: postgres:12.9
    volumes:
      - ./persist/db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
      - ./createdb.sh:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init-user-db.sh
    environment:
      # adapt the default passwords
      - DB_NAME=azurenode
      - DB_USER=idalko
      - DB_PASS=idalko
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=changeme
    networks:
      - database
  azurenode:
    restart: unless-stopped
 
    # use the latest version https://hub.docker.com/r/idalko/azurenode
    image: idalko/azurenode:5.3.3
    depends_on:
      - database #wait for postgres to be started, not for ready
    volumes:
      - ./persist/home:/opt/azurenode/data
    environment:
      # Add your enviroment settings here, check documentation for details
      - AZURENODE_PG_HOST=database
      - AZURENODE_PG_DB=azurenode?gssEncMode=disable
      - AZURENODE_PG_USER=idalko
      - AZURENODE_PG_PWD=idalko
      - AZURENODE_PORT=9002
 
      # Use following variables to link the node with jwilder/nginx proxy
      # Replace exalate_for_azurenode.example.com with the appropriate FQDN
      - LETSENCRYPT_HOST=francis-ado.exalate.biz
      - VIRTUAL_HOST=francis-ado.exalate.biz
      - VIRTUAL_PORT=9002
 
    networks:
      - database
      - proxy
networks:
  database:
    driver: bridge
  default:
    driver: bridge
  proxy:
    external:
        name: proxy

Below you can find the environment variables used for the app container. All of them are optional, and in the given example, we've overridden AZURENODE_PG_DB, AZURENODE_PG_USER, and AZURENODE_PG_PWD just to show how to pass different credentials to the Exalate application.

    ports:
      - 9000:9000

    ports:
      - 8080:8080

Connecting to Postgres 10 or Higher

For unencrypted connections from Exalate to a Postgres version 10 or higher, you need to disable gssEncMode with the following setting:

# exalate is the name of the database on the postgres instance
#
AZURENODE_PG_DB=exalate?gssEncMode=disable

create createdb.sh (referenced from docker-compose.yml):

touch createdb.sh
cat > createdb.sh << 'EOCREATEDB'
#!/bin/bash

TEST=`psql -U postgres <<-EOSQL
   SELECT 1 FROM pg_database WHERE datname='$DB_NAME';
EOSQL`

echo "******CREATING DOCKER DATABASE******"
if [[ $TEST == "1" ]]; then
    # database exists
    # $? is 0
    exit 0
else
psql -U postgres <<-EOSQL
   CREATE ROLE $DB_USER WITH LOGIN ENCRYPTED PASSWORD '${DB_PASS}' SUPERUSER;
EOSQL

psql -U postgres <<-EOSQL
   CREATE DATABASE $DB_NAME WITH OWNER $DB_USER ENCODING 'UNICODE' LC_COLLATE 'C' LC_CTYPE 'C' TEMPLATE template0;
EOSQL

psql -U postgres <<-EOSQL
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE $DB_NAME TO $DB_USER;
EOSQL
fi

echo ""
echo "******DOCKER DATABASE CREATED******"
EOCREATEDB

Ensure that the volumes are included in your backup strategy:

• persist

Start the Application.

cd ~/exalate-azurenode
docker-compose up -d

About the URL of the Exalate Node

The exalate node needs to be reachable by

• the Azure DevOps instance.
  • Exalate will configure webhooks on the ADO project, which is used to notify Exalate whenever a web item is modified
  • Exalate needs to be reachable for the OAuth protocol to set up a trust relationship between the ADO instance and the Exalate node
• the ADO users
  • The sync panel and the Exalate console are web properties that need to be reachable by the users.

Register the Node in the Mapper

The node needs to be registered in the exalate mapper.  The Exalate mapper is a kind of DNS service, maps instances to nodes
This is required to be able to install the ADO extension on the organization site.  Whenever deploying the extension, the extension will request the mapper where the node serving the ADO organization is located.  

Please raise a ticket on the support portal providing

• URL of the ADO organization
• URL of the Exalate node which has been deployed on-premise

How to Manage the Application on Docker

Run Queries to the Application's Database

You can find all tables using PSQLs \dt+ command:

\dt+

All the Postgres SQL queries are permitted

To exit the application's DB:

\q
# \q exits the psql 
exit
# exits the postgres user session
exit
# exits the exalateazurenode_database_1 bash session

Inspect the Application's Filesystem

cd ~/exalate-azurenode
docker exec -it exalateazurenode_azurenode_1 bash

Remove the Application

cd ~/exalate-azurenode
docker-compose rm

Remove the Application Data

cd ~/exalate-azurenode
# docker volume ls | grep exalateazurenode_vol |  awk '{ print $2 }' | xargs docker volume rm
docker volume rm exalateazurenode_voldatabase
docker volume rm exalateazurenode_volazurenode

Troubleshooting

Problems during the installation of the Exalate server for Azure DevOps

If you have problems during the installation of the Exalate app for Azure DevOps you can find logs describing possible problems inside /tmp.

The name for the file is generated randomly and automatically by the OS, but you can find the file by the creation date.

Problems while running the Exalate server for Azure DevOps

Logs will be generated under the directory: /opt/azurenode/data/logs.

Refer to these logs to get more information about possible problems and communicate with our support if you need any assistance.