Guides

Setup Docker on Photon OS on ESXi, and install Portainer and Unifi Controller.

• Download the Photon OS OVA with virtual hardware v13 from https://github.com/vmware/photon/wiki/Downloading-Photon-OS
• In ESXi:
  • Create/Register VM
  • Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file
  • Name the VM
  • Upload the Photon OS OVA file
  • Specify the desired Target Datastore
  • Accept the License Agreement
  • Select Deployment Options
  • Confirm settings
  • Actions > Edit Settings
  • Select appropriate VM settings depending on desired applications
  • Use NVMe Controller for the hard disk if using NVMe storage
  • Set desired autostart setting
  • Run VM
  • Login with root details from the VM note
  • Set new password
  • Disable password expiry: chage -M -1 root
  • Set new hostname: hostnamectl set-hostname <hostname>
  • Update packages: tdnf upgrade
  • Enable Docker to run at startup: systemctl enable docker
  • Shutdown, Save Initial snapshot, and start the VM again
  • Install Portainer:
    • docker volume create portainer_data
    • docker run –name Portainer –restart=always -d -p 8000:8000 -p 9000:9000 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer

• Open portainer at http://docker.example.com:9000:
  • Create account
  • Install Unifi Controller

• Shutdown, Save Configured snapshot, and start the VM again
• Edit VM note to indicate details/running applications, e.g.:

Minimal installed profile of PhotonOS
User: root

Docker host:
Portainer:
8000/TCP, 9000/TCP http Web Interface
http://<server.example.com>:9000
User: <User>

Unifi Controller:
10001/udp, 3478/udp
6789/tcp, 8080/tcp
8443/tcp https Web Portal
8843/tcp, 8880/tcp
https://<server.example.com>:8443
User: <User>

• : Add network mounts

• If desired, Log in to ESXi, navigate to the docker VM and create new snapshot
• Connect via ssh as root to the VM and run the following:

# Update packages:
tdnf upgrade
tdnf clean all
systemctl enable docker  # For some reason I needed to re-enable docker starting on boot?
reboot  # And reconnect

# Update Portainer:
docker pull portainer/portainer
# If it responds with the following:
# Status: Downloaded newer image for portainer/portainer:latest
# then run the following to update the container
docker stop Portainer
docker rm Portainer
docker run --name Portainer --restart=always -d -p 8000:8000 -p 9000:9000 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer