Quickstart with Docker Compose
==============================
This quickstart shows you how to set up Flower using Docker Compose in a single command,
allowing you to focus on developing your application without worrying about the
underlying infrastructure.
You will also learn how to easily enable TLS encryption and persist application state
locally, giving you the freedom to choose the configuration that best suits your
project's needs.
Prerequisites
-------------
Before you start, make sure that:
- The ``flwr`` CLI is :doc:`installed <../how-to-install-flower>` locally.
- The Docker daemon is running.
- Docker Compose V2 is `installed `_.
Step 1: Set Up
--------------
1. Clone the Docker Compose ``complete`` directory:
.. code-block:: bash
$ git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/adap/flower.git _tmp \
&& mv _tmp/src/docker/complete . \
&& rm -rf _tmp && cd complete
2. Create a new Flower project (PyTorch):
.. code-block:: bash
$ flwr new quickstart-compose --framework PyTorch --username flower
3. Export the path of the newly created project. The path should be relative to the
location of the Docker Compose files:
.. code-block:: bash
$ export PROJECT_DIR=quickstart-compose
Setting the ``PROJECT_DIR`` helps Docker Compose locate the ``pyproject.toml`` file,
allowing it to install dependencies in the SuperExec and SuperNode images correctly.
Step 2: Run Flower in Insecure Mode
-----------------------------------
To begin, start Flower with the most basic configuration. In this setup, Flower will run
without TLS and without persisting the state.
.. note::
Without TLS, the data sent between the services remains **unencrypted**. Use it only
for development purposes.
For production-oriented use cases, :ref:`enable TLS` for secure data
transmission.
Open your terminal and run:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose up --build -d
.. dropdown:: Understand the command
* ``docker compose``: The Docker command to run the Docker Compose tool.
* ``--build``: Rebuild the images for each service if they don't already exist.
* ``-d``: Detach the containers from the terminal and run them in the background.
Step 3: Run the Quickstart Project
----------------------------------
Now that the Flower services have been started via Docker Compose, it is time to run the
quickstart example.
To ensure the ``flwr`` CLI connects to the SuperExec, you need to specify the SuperExec
addresses in the ``pyproject.toml`` file.
1. Add the following lines to the ``quickstart-compose/pyproject.toml``:
.. code-block:: toml
:caption: quickstart-compose/pyproject.toml
[tool.flwr.federations.local-deployment]
address = "127.0.0.1:9093"
insecure = true
2. Run the quickstart example, monitor the ServerApp logs and wait for the summary to
appear:
.. code-block:: bash
$ flwr run quickstart-compose local-deployment --stream
Step 4: Update the Application
------------------------------
In the next step, change the application code.
1. For example, go to the ``task.py`` file in the
``quickstart-compose/quickstart_compose/`` directory and add a ``print`` call in the
``get_weights`` function:
.. code-block:: python
:caption: quickstart-compose/quickstart_compose/task.py
# ...
def get_weights(net):
print("Get weights")
return [val.cpu().numpy() for _, val in net.state_dict().items()]
# ...
2. Rebuild and restart the services.
.. note::
If you have modified the dependencies listed in your ``pyproject.toml`` file, it
is essential to rebuild images.
If you haven't made any changes, you can skip this step.
Run the following command to rebuild and restart the services:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose up --build -d
3. Run the updated quickstart example:
.. code-block:: bash
$ flwr run quickstart-compose local-deployment --stream
In the SuperExec logs, you should find the ``Get weights`` line:
.. code-block::
:emphasize-lines: 9
INFO : Starting Flower SuperExec
WARNING : Option `--insecure` was set. Starting insecure HTTP server.
INFO : Starting Flower SuperExec gRPC server on 0.0.0.0:9093
INFO : ExecServicer.StartRun
🎊 Successfully installed quickstart-compose to /app/.flwr/apps/flower/quickstart-compose/1.0.0.
INFO : Created run -6767165609169293507
INFO : Started run -6767165609169293507
WARNING : Option `--insecure` was set. Starting insecure HTTP client connected to superlink:9091.
Get weights
INFO : Starting Flower ServerApp, config: num_rounds=3, no round_timeout
Step 5: Persisting the SuperLink State
--------------------------------------
In this step, Flower services are configured to persist the state of the SuperLink
service, ensuring that it maintains its state even after a restart.
.. note::
When working with Docker Compose on Linux, you may need to create the ``state``
directory first and change its ownership to ensure proper access and permissions.
For more information, consult the following page: :doc:`persist-superlink-state`.
1. Run the command:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose -f compose.yml -f with-state.yml up --build -d
.. dropdown:: Understand the command
* ``docker compose``: The Docker command to run the Docker Compose tool.
* ``-f compose.yml``: Specify the YAML file that contains the basic Flower service definitions.
* | ``-f with-state.yml``: Specifies the path to an additional Docker Compose file that
| contains the configuration for persisting the SuperLink state.
|
| Docker merges Compose files according to `merging rules `_.
* ``--build``: Rebuild the images for each service if they don't already exist.
* ``-d``: Detach the containers from the terminal and run them in the background.
2. Rerun the ``quickstart-compose`` project:
.. code-block:: bash
$ flwr run quickstart-compose local-deployment --stream
3. Check the content of the ``state`` directory:
.. code-block:: bash
$ ls state/
state.db
You should see a ``state.db`` file in the ``state`` directory. If you restart the
service, the state file will be used to restore the state from the previously saved
data. This ensures that the data persists even if the containers are stopped and
started again.
.. _tls:
Step 6: Run Flower with TLS
---------------------------
1. To demonstrate how to enable TLS, generate self-signed certificates using the
``certs.yml`` Compose file.
.. important::
These certificates should be used only for development purposes.
For production environments, use a service like `Let's Encrypt
`_ to obtain your certificates.
Run the command:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose -f certs.yml run --rm --build gen-certs
2. Add the following lines to the ``quickstart-compose/pyproject.toml``:
.. code-block:: toml
:caption: quickstart-compose/pyproject.toml
[tool.flwr.federations.local-deployment-tls]
address = "127.0.0.1:9093"
root-certificates = "../superexec-certificates/ca.crt"
3. Restart the services with TLS enabled:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose -f compose.yml -f with-tls.yml up --build -d
4. Rerun the ``quickstart-compose`` project:
.. code-block:: bash
$ flwr run quickstart-compose local-deployment-tls --stream
Step 7: Add another SuperNode
-----------------------------
You can add more SuperNodes and ClientApps by duplicating their definitions in the
``compose.yml`` file.
Just give each new SuperNode and ClientApp service a unique service name like
``supernode-3``, ``clientapp-3``, etc.
In ``compose.yml``, add the following:
.. code-block:: yaml
:caption: compose.yml
:substitutions:
# other service definitions
supernode-3:
image: flwr/supernode:${FLWR_VERSION:-|stable_flwr_version|}
command:
- --insecure
- --superlink
- superlink:9092
- --supernode-address
- 0.0.0.0:9096
- --isolation
- process
- --node-config
- "partition-id=1 num-partitions=2"
depends_on:
- superlink
clientapp-3:
build:
context: ${PROJECT_DIR:-.}
dockerfile_inline: |
FROM flwr/clientapp:${FLWR_VERSION:-|stable_flwr_version|}
USER root
RUN apt-get update \
&& apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install \
build-essential \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
USER app
WORKDIR /app
COPY --chown=app:app pyproject.toml .
RUN sed -i 's/.*flwr\[simulation\].*//' pyproject.toml \
&& python -m pip install -U --no-cache-dir .
ENTRYPOINT ["flwr-clientapp"]
command:
- --supernode
- supernode-3:9096
deploy:
resources:
limits:
cpus: "2"
stop_signal: SIGINT
depends_on:
- supernode-3
If you also want to enable TLS for the new SuperNodes, duplicate the SuperNode
definition for each new SuperNode service in the ``with-tls.yml`` file.
Make sure that the names of the services match with the one in the ``compose.yml`` file.
In ``with-tls.yml``, add the following:
.. code-block:: yaml
:caption: with-tls.yml
# other service definitions
supernode-3:
command:
- --superlink
- superlink:9092
- --supernode-address
- 0.0.0.0:9096
- --isolation
- process
- --node-config
- "partition-id=1 num-partitions=2"
- --root-certificates
- certificates/ca.crt
secrets:
- source: superlink-ca-certfile
target: /app/certificates/ca.crt
Step 8: Persisting the SuperLink State and Enabling TLS
-------------------------------------------------------
To run Flower with persisted SuperLink state and enabled TLS, a slight change in the
``with-state.yml`` file is required:
1. Comment out the lines 2-4 and uncomment the lines 5-9:
.. code-block:: yaml
:caption: with-state.yml
:linenos:
:emphasize-lines: 2-9
superlink:
# command:
# - --insecure
# - --database=state/state.db
command:
- --ssl-ca-certfile=certificates/ca.crt
- --ssl-certfile=certificates/server.pem
- --ssl-keyfile=certificates/server.key
- --database=state/state.db
volumes:
- ./state/:/app/state/:rw
2. Restart the services:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose -f compose.yml -f with-tls.yml -f with-state.yml up --build -d
3. Rerun the ``quickstart-compose`` project:
.. code-block:: bash
$ flwr run quickstart-compose local-deployment-tls --stream
Step 9: Merge Multiple Compose Files
------------------------------------
You can merge multiple Compose files into a single file. For instance, if you wish to
combine the basic configuration with the TLS configuration, execute the following
command:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose -f compose.yml \
-f with-tls.yml config --no-path-resolution > my_compose.yml
This will merge the contents of ``compose.yml`` and ``with-tls.yml`` into a new file
called ``my_compose.yml``.
Step 10: Clean Up
-----------------
Remove all services and volumes:
.. code-block:: bash
$ docker compose down -v
Where to Go Next
----------------
- :doc:`run-quickstart-examples-docker-compose`