Docker Compose in the Camunda Ecosystem
Docker Compose runs a group of containers from one YAML file. One command starts them, and one command stops them. In Camunda 8 Self-Managed, that file is how developers stand up a local cluster without wiring each service by hand.
The default Compose file starts the Orchestration Cluster and Connectors, with file-based H2 as the store. A fuller file adds Optimize, Camunda Hub, Management Identity, and the databases those components need. These files are for local development and evaluation. A production cluster belongs on Kubernetes with Helm. The Docker images themselves can run in production; the Compose files should not.
Two short guides continue from here:
- Camunda 8 Run quickstart is the path without containers: one archive and a start script.
- Docker Compose quickstart covers how to install, start, and stop the Compose distributions.
Do not run both at the same time. They listen on the same ports, starting with 8080.
Review the conceptual map above to understand how infrastructure components interact with each other.
Seriously, try it.