Before implementing the procedures in this handbook, ensure you have:

Technical Prerequisites

Hardware Requirements:

  • Minimum 4 nodes (1 manager, 3 workers recommended)
  • Manager node: 8+ cores, 16+ GB RAM, SSD storage
  • Worker nodes: 2+ cores, 4+ GB RAM each
  • Reliable network connectivity between all nodes
  • Shared or centralized storage solution

Software Requirements:

  • Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or newer on all nodes
  • Docker Engine 20.10+ (28.4.0 recommended)
  • SSH access to all nodes from management workstation
  • Internet connectivity for image downloads and certificate provisioning

Network Requirements:

  • Static IP addresses for all cluster nodes
  • DNS resolution for external domain names
  • Firewall rules allowing Docker Swarm communication
  • External domain with DNS management access (for SSL certificates)

Knowledge Prerequisites

Essential Skills:

  • Docker container management and troubleshooting
  • Linux file system permissions and ownership
  • Basic shell scripting and automation
  • Network troubleshooting and connectivity testing
  • Text editor proficiency (vim, nano, or equivalent)

Recommended Background:

  • Experience with reverse proxies (Nginx, Apache, or similar)
  • Database administration (PostgreSQL and/or MySQL/MariaDB)
  • SSL certificate management
  • Backup and recovery procedures
  • Service monitoring and alerting concepts