Article 18: Running Microservices with Docker Compose

1. Objective

Run multiple microservices together using Docker Compose.

2. Key Concepts

• docker-compose.yml
• Service orchestration
• Container networking

3. Why Docker Compose

Without compose:

• Manual container startup
• Networking headaches

With compose:

• One command startup
• Built-in networking

4. Sample docker-compose.yml

version: "3.8"
services:
  user-service:
    image: user-service
    ports:
      - "8081:8081"

  order-service:
    image: order-service
    ports:
      - "8082:8082"

5. Running the System

docker-compose up
docker-compose down

6. Networking Explained

• Services communicate via service name
• No localhost between containers

7. Common Mistakes

• Using localhost inside containers
• Missing environment variables
• No health checks

8. Interview Notes

• Docker Compose is ideal for local dev
• Kubernetes is next step for prod

9. Summary

Docker Compose simplifies multi-service execution.

10. What’s Next

Deploy microservices to Kubernetes.