Multi-Container Web Application with Nginx Reverse Proxy and Docker Compose

Source: Dev.to

What This Project Demonstrates

• Multi‑container application design
• Docker Compose for service orchestration
• Nginx as a reverse proxy
• Private application containers (not exposed to the internet)
• Service‑to‑service communication via Docker networking
• Clean separation between application and web server
• Production‑ready container structure

Architecture Overview

• Client (Browser) → Nginx (only container exposed to the host)
• Node.js app is reachable only inside the Docker network
• Containers communicate using service names, not IP addresses

Project Structure

project-2-multicontainer/

Technologies Used

• Docker
• Docker Compose (v2)
• Node.js (Express)
• Nginx
• Linux‑based containers

How to Run the Project Locally

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop
• Docker Compose v2

Steps

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/dr-musa-bala/project-2-multicontainer.git
   cd project-2-multicontainer

2. Build and start the containers

   docker compose up --build

3. Open your browser

   Visit http://localhost:8080

   

Security & Production Considerations

• The application container does not expose any ports to the host.
• All external traffic is handled by Nginx.
• Mirrors real‑world production deployment patterns.

Why This Matters (DevOps Perspective)

• Isolate application services.
• Control ingress traffic via reverse proxies.
• Use declarative configuration for reproducibility.
• Build systems that are easy to extend into CI/CD pipelines.

Next Improvements

• Add CI/CD with GitHub Actions.
• Push application images to Docker Hub.
• Deploy the stack to AWS EC2.
• Implement zero‑downtime updates.
• Add HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt.