Server Setup

Before deploying applications with FTL, your servers need to be properly configured. This guide covers the server setup process and requirements.

Overview

The ftl setup command prepares your server by:

• Installing required system packages
• Setting up Docker
• Configuring networking
• Setting up security measures

Prerequisites

Before running server setup, ensure you have:

• Root or sudo access to the target server
• SSH access configured
• A server running a supported operating system:
  • Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or newer (recommended)
  • Debian 11 or newer
  • Other Linux distributions with Docker support

Running Setup

Execute the setup command:

ftl setup

This command will connect to all servers defined in your ftl.yaml configuration and perform the necessary setup steps.

TIP

To set up a specific server when multiple are configured:

ftl setup --server myapp.example.com

Setup Process

1. System Updates

The setup process begins by updating the system:

• Updates package lists
• Upgrades existing packages
• Installs required dependencies

2. Docker Installation

FTL installs and configures Docker:

• Adds Docker repository
• Installs Docker Engine
• Starts Docker service
• Configures Docker daemon settings
• Sets up Docker network for FTL

3. Network Configuration

Network setup includes:

• Configuring firewall rules
• Opening required ports:
  • 22 (SSH)
  • 80 (HTTP)
  • 443 (HTTPS)
• Setting up Docker networks

4. Security Configuration

Security measures implemented:

• Creating limited-privilege user for deployments
• Configuring SSH access
• Setting up firewall rules
• Applying basic security hardening

Server Requirements

Minimum Hardware Requirements

• CPU: 1 core
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 20GB
• Network: 100Mbps

Recommended Hardware

• CPU: 2+ cores
• RAM: 2GB+
• Storage: 40GB+
• Network: 1Gbps

Software Requirements

• Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or newer
• SSH Server: OpenSSH

Configuration Options

Custom Docker Configuration

You can customize Docker daemon settings by creating a docker.json file:

{
  "log-driver": "json-file",
  "log-opts": {
    "max-size": "10m",
    "max-file": "3"
  },
  "default-address-pools": [
    {
      "base": "172.17.0.0/16",
      "size": 24
    }
  ]
}

Verification

After setup completes, verify the installation:

1. Check Docker status:

   ssh user@server "docker info"

2. Verify network configuration:

   ssh user@server "docker network ls"

3. Test Docker functionality:

   ssh user@server "docker run hello-world"

Common Issues

Permission Denied

If you encounter permission issues:

# Add your user to the docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Apply changes
newgrp docker

Docker Network Conflicts

If you experience network conflicts:

1. Check existing networks:

   docker network ls

2. Remove conflicting networks:

   docker network rm conflicting-network

Firewall Issues

If services are inaccessible:

1. Verify firewall rules:

   sudo ufw status

2. Allow required ports:

   sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
   sudo ufw allow 443/tcp

Best Practices

1. Regular Updates

   • Keep system packages updated
   • Regularly update Docker
   • Monitor security advisories

2. Security

   • Use strong SSH keys
   • Implement fail2ban
   • Regular security audits
   • Keep ports minimal

3. Monitoring

   • Set up disk space monitoring
   • Monitor system resources
   • Configure log rotation

4. Backup

   • Regular system backups
   • Docker volume backups
   • Configuration backups

Next Steps

After setting up your server:

1. Configure your application
2. Deploy your first application
3. Learn about Zero-downtime Deployments

WARNING

Always test the setup process on a staging server before setting up production environments.

Reference

• Configuration Reference
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Docker Documentation