Automatically Adding Containers

  • Published on Nov 15, 2024
  • 4 minute(s) read
  • Migration Team

Adding a Container

The front panel menu has options to create some common containers rather than using Portainer, though adding and manipulating containers with Portainer remains an option. Click on "Add/Remove/Configure Products (Containers)" to begin.

Figure 1 - Adding containers without using Portainer

Several containers are available:

  • Dashboard: Product management and configuration for all intercom hardware and software (required).

  • Beacon: E-main invite sender (required).

  • PTP4L: PTP time sync for VIP containers with an external PTP clock source (optional).

  • Coturn: A local TURN server that can be used instead of relying upon an external (often paid) provider (optoinal).

Figure 2 - Container options

Creating a Dashboard Container

Select "Create Dashboard Container" from the Add/Remove/Configure Products (Containers) menu (see Figure 2), then select "Create Dashboard Container" from the Dashboard Container menu.

Each container requires some input and information before it can be created. For the Dashboard container, you must provide an IP address and choose whether or not to retain the existing configuration.

Figure 3 - Creating the Dashboard Container

Setting the Container IP Address

Select "Set Container IP Address" from the Dashboard Container menu.

Figure 4- Setting the Container IP Address

Enter the Container IP address, then click "OK."

Figure 5- Entering the Container IP address

Saving the Configuration

Select "Delete config before creating Dashboard" from the Dashboard Container menu.

Figure 6- Deleting the configuration before creating the new Dashboard container

A warning dialog will appear verifying that you wish to delete the existing container before creating the new container. Choose "Yes" to do so. The default value is "No."

Figure 7 - Delete Dashboard warning

Note that creating the container does not automatically start it. It must be started in Portainer as shown in Figure 8 below.

Figure 8 - Starting the container in Portainer

Incomplete Setups

You cannot create the container without providing all of the required information and will receive a "setup is incomplete" message if anything is missing.

Figure 8 -Container setup incomplete

To see what information is missing, click option 2, "View info before creating Dashboard Container" from the Dashboard Container menu (see Figure 3 above).

For example, Figure 9 below shows a Coturn container with no IP address and no direction as to whether or not to delete the existing configuration.

Figure 9 - Example of incomplete Coturn container setup

Once any missing information has been entered, running option 2, "View info before creating Dashboard Container," will yield the following message:

Figure 10 - Message indicating all information has been provided

Creating a Beacon Container

Select "Create Beacon" from the Add/Remove/Configure Products (Containers) menu (see Figure 2), then select "Create Beacon Container" from the Beacon Container menu.

Figure 11 - Creating the Beacon container

A Beacon container requires only two pieces of information:

  • IPv4 Address: Any IP address in your AoIP LAN.

  • DNS Server: Use this address to override the DNS server set on the AoIP NIC.

Click "OK" to save the information.

Figure 12 - Beacon container information.

Creating a PTP4L Container

PTP may be needed to synchronize clocks when sending audio from VIP to external hardware, such as consoles. If your system consists primarily of VIP panels and hardware intercom panels, PTP is likely unnecessary.

Select "Create PTP4L Container" from the Add/Remove/Configure Products (Containers) menu.

Figure 13 - Creating a PTP4L container (Containers menu)

Select "Create PTP4L Container."

Figure 14 - Creating the PTP4L container

Enter the domain used by your network's PTP master clock, then click "OK."

Figure 15 - Setting the PTP domain

Creating a Coturn Container

Creating a Coturn container has a more extensive list of requirements compared to other container types.

To begin, select "Create Coturn Container" from the Add/Remove/Configure Products (Containers) menu.

Figure 16 - Creating a Coturn Container (Containers menu)

Select "Create Coturn Container" from the Coturn Container menu.

Figure 17 - Creating the Coturn container

Username and Password

Create a username and password. These will be needed when connecting to the TURN container. Click "OK" following each step.

Figure 18 - Creating a username and password

SSL Certificate Location

For situations where the built-in LetsEncrypt will serve as the SSL certificate, this path will be pre-populated with your correct domain at the end.

For installations where users will provide their own SSL certificates, they should already be placed somewhere with the /etc/ssl/ path. Enter the full path to the directory containing your certificate.

Figure 19 - SSL certificate path

Domain Name

The domain name on your system should have already been set from the front panel menu - "#3 Set VIP Domain Name" - and is read and displayed here. If for some reason the information is not correct, it can be overridden.

Figure 20 - Setting the domain name

Internal IP

This sets the internal IP address of the WAN NIC.

Figure 21 - Setting the Internal IP address

External IP

This sets the WAN IP of your system. If you are using load balancers, this address should also match the DNS A record for your Domain Name.

Figure 22 - Setting the External IP

Reviewing and Creating the Container

Once all the fields are populated and all dependencies are met, view the information, then select "OK" to create the container.

Figure 23 - Reviewing and creating the container

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