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Portainer

What is Portainer? 🐋

Think of Portainer as your mission control for Docker! It gives you a sleek web interface to manage all your containers, making it way easier than typing commands in the terminal all day.

From their website:

Deploy, configure, troubleshoot and secure containers in minutes on Kubernetes, Docker, Swarm and Nomad in any data center, cloud, network edge or IIOT device.

Portainer is optional in YAMS, but we highly recommend it. It’s like having x-ray vision into your containers! 🦸‍♂️

Initial Setup 🚀

Step 1: Access Portainer

Open your browser and go to http://{your-ip-address}:9000/. You’ll see the first-time setup screen.

Step 2: Create Admin Account

Let’s set up your admin credentials:

  1. Choose a secure username
  2. Pick a strong password
  3. Click “Create User”

Portainer setup

Step 3: Quick Setup

On the “Quick Setup” screen:

  1. Click “Get Started” - this sets up Portainer with good default settings
  2. No need to mess with advanced options for now!

Quick setup

Step 4: Access Your Environment

  1. Click on your “local” Docker environment
  2. This is where all the magic happens!

Local environment

Managing Your Containers 🎮

Viewing Containers

  1. Click on “Containers” in the left menu
  2. Here you’ll see all your running YAMS services

Container list

What You Can Do Here

  • 👀 Monitor container status
  • 🔄 Restart services
  • 📊 Check resource usage
  • 📝 View logs
  • ⚙️ Change container settings

Container details

Pro Tips 💡

1. Container Management

  • Quick Restart: Use the circular arrow icon next to a container
  • Batch Actions: Select multiple containers to restart/stop them together
  • Auto-Refresh: Enable auto-refresh to monitor containers in real-time

2. Logs and Troubleshooting

  • View container logs directly in Portainer
  • Check container stats for resource usage
  • Inspect container configuration when things go wrong

3. Resource Monitoring

  • Monitor CPU and memory usage
  • Track network traffic
  • Set up resource limits if needed

Cool Features You Should Try 🌟

  1. Container Console

    • Access container terminals directly from the web
    • Great for quick debugging!

  2. Real-Time Stats

    • Monitor CPU, memory, and network usage
    • Perfect for spotting performance issues

  3. Volume Management

    • Check where your data is stored
    • Manage persistent storage

  4. Network Overview

    • See how containers are connected
    • Troubleshoot network issues

Best Practices 📚

  1. Security

    • Change the default admin password regularly
    • Use a strong password
    • Don’t expose Portainer to the internet

  2. Monitoring

    • Check container logs regularly
    • Monitor resource usage
    • Set up email alerts for container failures

  3. Maintenance

    • Restart containers gracefully
    • Use the “Recreate” option when updating
    • Keep an eye on storage usage

Troubleshooting 🔧

Can’t Access Portainer?

  1. Check if the container is running:
    yams check portainer
  2. Verify the port isn’t blocked
  3. Make sure you’re using the right IP address

Container Issues?

  1. Check container logs in Portainer
  2. Look for error messages
  3. Verify container settings

Resource Problems?

  1. Monitor container stats
  2. Check host system resources
  3. Consider setting resource limits

Need Help? 🆘

If you’re stuck:

  1. Check our Common Issues page
  2. Visit the YAMS Forum
  3. Join our Discord or Matrix chat
  4. Check Portainer’s documentation

Remember: Portainer is your friend! It makes managing YAMS much easier, so take some time to explore its features. 🎮