PostgreSQL Docker Compose Configuration

This guide provides a production-ready PostgreSQL configuration using Docker Compose.

Basic Configuration

version: '3.8'

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    container_name: postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: ${POSTGRES_USER}
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
      POSTGRES_DB: ${POSTGRES_DB}
      PGDATA: /var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
      - ./postgres/init:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d
    networks:
      - app-network
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER} -d ${POSTGRES_DB}"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  postgres_data:

networks:
  app-network:
    driver: bridge

Environment Variables

Create a .env file:

POSTGRES_USER=your_user
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=your_password
POSTGRES_DB=your_database

Usage

1. Save the configuration as docker-compose.yml
2. Create the .env file with your credentials
3. Run: docker-compose up -d

Best Practices

• Use Alpine-based images for smaller footprint
• Configure proper PGDATA path
• Enable healthcheck
• Use volumes for data persistence
• Set up proper networking