How to Install Exalate for Jira Cloud on Docker

    You can host Exalate for Jira Cloud on your own server. To do so, you need to install Exalate on Docker.

    Note: You need to install Docker. Check the docker documentation for more details.

    Steps to Install Exalate for Jira Cloud on Docker

    1. Create directory and create docker-compose.yml file

    Create a directory to hold the docker-compose file:

    cd ~
    mkdir exalate-jcloudnode

    Create or download a docker-compose.yml file

    Note: Click docker-compose.yml to download the file.

    Note: We recommend using the latest version of Exalate for Jira Cloud. It can be found in the Release History.

    Enter the latest version in the image tag. For example, in image: idalko/jcloudnode:5.6.0, the version of Exalate for Jira Cloud is 5.6.0 .

    The docker-compose.yml file should contain the following information in it:

    version: '2' 
    services:
      database:
        restart: unless-stopped
        image: postgres:9.4
        volumes:
          - ./persist/db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
          - ./createdb.sh:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init-user-db.sh
        environment:
          # adapt the default passwords
          - DB_NAME=jcloudnode
          - DB_USER=idalko
          - DB_PASS=idalko
          - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=changeme
        networks:
          - database
     
      jcloudnode:
        restart: unless-stopped
     
        # use the latest version https://hub.docker.com/r/idalko/jcloudnode
        image: idalko/jcloudnode:5.6.0
        depends_on:
          - database #wait for postgres to be started, not for ready
        volumes:
          - ./persist/home:/opt/jcloudnode/data
        environment:
          # Add your environment settings here, check documentation for details
          - JCLOUDNODE_PG_HOST=database
          - JCLOUDNODE_PG_DB=exalate?gssEncMode=disable
          - JCLOUDNODE_PG_PWD=idalko
          - JCLOUDNODE_PG_USER=idalko
          - JCLOUDNODE_PORT=9002
     
           # When you deploy Exalate onto a server, you configure a DNS rule such that 
          #whenever people navigate to foo.com, they reach your server's Exalate. 
          #You set up SSL so that https://foo.com leads to your Exalate on your server.
          #Now you need to set environment variable NODE_SELF_URL=https://foo.com 
          #for your Exalate docker container.
     
          # Use following variables to link the node with nginx proxy
          # Replace francis-jcl.exalate.biz with the appropriate FQDN
          - LETSENCRYPT_HOST=francis-jcl.exalate.biz
          - VIRTUAL_HOST=francis-jcl.exalate.biz
          - VIRTUAL_PORT=9002
          - NODE_SELF_URL=https://foo.com
          # CACHE_EXPIRY_DURATION_HOURS variable defines how long the cache will remain in the app.
          # The default value of 8 hours can be changed by specifying the number of hours.
          - CACHE_EXPIRY_DURATION_HOURS=20
        
       networks:
          - database
          - proxy
     
     
    networks:
      database:
        driver: bridge
      default:
        driver: bridge
      proxy:
        external:
            name: proxy

    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
    #
    JCLOUDNODE_PG_DB=exalate?gssEncMode=disable

    2. Ensure that a correct database is setup using a createdb.sh

    Create or download a createdb.sh file (referenced from docker-compose.yml):

    Note: Click createdb.sh to download the file.

    The file should contain the following information:

    #!/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******"

    Ensure that the volumes are included in your backup strategy:

    • persist

    3. Set Environment Variables if necessary

    Below, you can find the environment variables used for the app container. 

    Full list of environment variables:
    CACHE_EXPIRY_DURATION_HOURSCACHE_EXPIRY_DURATION_HOURS=8Defines how long the cache remains in the app.
    The default value of 8 hours can be changed by specifying the number of hours.
    EXALATE_GROUP_CONSOLE_ADMINEXALATE_GROUP_CONSOLE_ADMIN=some_group_name Grants access to the admin console to users added to this group.
    JCLOUDNODE_PG_DBJCLOUDNODE_PG_DB=exalateTells Exalate what is the Postgres database name for the Exalate application
    JCLOUDNODE_PG_HOSTJCLOUDNODE_PG_HOST=databaseTells Exalate where is the Postgres database to connect is hosted
    JCLOUDNODE_PG_PWDJCLOUDENODE_PG_PWD=secretTells the Exalate application what is the Postgres database user's password for the Exalate application to perform queries with
    JCLOUDNODE_PG_USERJCLOUDNODE_PG_USER=exalateTells the Exalate application what is the Postgres database user name for the Exalate application to perform queries with
    HTTP_HEADERSHTTP_HEADERS="TestName1: testAddHeader1"Allows additional information to pass between the clients and the server through the request header.
    SMTP_FROMSMTP_FROM=my.name@gmail.comEmail that is used to send error notifications
    SMTP_HOST_NAMESMTP_HOST_NAME=smtp.gmail.comHost name of the SMTP server used to send error notifications
    SMTP_LOGINSMTP_LOGIN=my.nameLogin to the SMTP service
    SMTP_PASSSMTP_PASS=secret

    Password to the SMTP service

    SMTP_PORTSMTP_PORT=587Port (also check the TLS setting)
    SMTP_TLSSMTP_TLS=trueCan be set to false, but then the SMTP_PORT (question) should be set to the port, that accepts non-SSL and non-TLS connections

    Using a Proxy for Outgoing Connections

    Whenever the Exalate node needs to use a proxy to establish outgoing connections, use the following parameters in the environment (naming should be obvious):

    • PROXY_HTTP_HOST
    • PROXY_HTTP_PORT
    • PROXY_HTTPS_HOST
    • PROXY_HTTPS_PORT

    4. Start the Application

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

    5. Register the Node

    To be able to fully use the functionality of your new node, it needs to be registered on the mapper.  This mapper acts as a DNS server, mapping tracker URLs to node URLs.

    Please raise a ticket on the support portal providing the following:

    • Jira Cloud instance URL
    • 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

    cd ~/exalate-jcloudnode
    docker exec -it exalatejcloudnode_database_1 bash
    su postgres
    psql -A $DB_NAME

    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 exalatejcloudnode_database_1 bash session

    Inspect the Application's Filesystem

    cd ~/exalate-jcloudnode
    docker exec -it exalatejcloudnode_jcloudnode_1 bash

    Remove the Application

    cd ~/exalate-jcloudnode
    docker-compose rm

    Remove the Application Data

    Warning:  Do this only if you wish to delete all the synchronization information, including the current synchronizations enqueued to be performed, and synchronization status. Ensure that the remote side you Exalate issues with knows that you're stopping synchronization and are ready to handle synchronization errors.

    cd ~/exalate-jcloudnode
    # docker volume ls | grep exalatejcloudnode_vol |  awk '{ print $2 }' | xargs docker volume rm
    docker volume rm exalatejcloudnode_voldatabase
    docker volume rm exalatejcloudnode_voljcloudnode

    System Administration Tasks

    With the Exalate for Jira Cloud is running on your environment, you are also required to do the mandatory system administration tasks

    • Backup (& restore tests)
    • Disaster recovery procedure
    • Upgrades whenever needed

    Note: Please note that an Exalate version has a lifespan of 2 years. This is to ensure backward compatibility over the whole platform. There are regular new versions deployed which contain bug fixes, security-related improvements, and even new features. Watch the release notes page for any new versions.

    Upgrading Exalate on Docker

    If you need to upgrade Exalate on Docker, here are the steps to follow:

    1. Edit the YAML File:

      Open the docker-compose.yml file in a text editor and modify the image tag for the service you wish to upgrade.

      # use the latest version https://hub.docker.com/r/idalko/jcloudnode
      image: idalko/jcloudnode:latest
      depends_on:
      - database #wait for postgres to be started, not for ready
      

      Replace latest with the latest or desired version tag.

    2. Pull the Latest Image:

      From the directory containing your docker-compose.yml file, pull the latest image.

      docker-compose pull
      
    3. Recreate the Container:

      Using Docker Compose, you can easily recreate the container with the new image.

      docker-compose up -d
      

      The -d flag runs the containers in detached mode. Docker Compose automatically stops the old container and starts a new one based on the updated image.

    4. Post-Upgrade Checks:

      After starting the upgraded container, check to make sure everything is running as expected:

    • Log into the Exalate interface and verify that all your configurations, connections are intact.
    • Test out a few synchronizations to make sure they work as expected.
    • Check for any errors in the Docker logs or the Exalate logs.

    Troubleshooting

    Issues during the installation of the Exalate for Jira Cloud

    If you have issues during the installation of the Exalate app for Jira Cloud, 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.

    Issues while running the Exalate server for Jira Cloud

    Logs are generated under the directory: /opt/jcloudnode/data/logs (in the docker container)

    Refer to these logs to get more information about possible problems, and contact our support team if you need any assistance.

    Support

    Check our Support options.