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watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition runs inside Docker containers. These containers start automatically when you run the orchestrate server start command. If you’re familiar with Docker and Docker Compose, you can customize the setup to fit your machine or specific use case.
Important:Before starting watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition with a custom Docker Compose file, make sure you understand every change in your configuration. The ADK doesn’t offers official support to custom Compose setups, so you’re responsible for troubleshooting any issues that arise.

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Exporting docker compose file

To export the watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition Docker Compose file, start by configuring your .env file. For more information about how to configure a .env file, see Installing the watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition. Then, run the following command to export the Docker Compose file using your configured .env file:
BASH
orchestrate server eject -e <path-to-your-.env-file>
This command creates two files in your current directory:
  • docker-compose.yml Contains the container configurations for watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition.
  • server.env Stores the environment variable values used in docker-compose.yml. You can use this file if you choose to run watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition without the ADK.

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Using the custom docker compose file

Use the orchestrate server start command to launch watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition with your custom Docker Compose configuration. Pass the path to your .env file using the -e flag, and the path to your custom Compose file using the -f flag:
BASH
orchestrate server start -e <path-to-your-.env-file> -f <path-to-your-custom-compose-file>
If you omit the -f flag, the default configuration launches, and your custom settings won’t be applied. For more information about the orchestrate server start comamnd, see Installing watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition: watsonx Orchestrate server.

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Example: Customizing the UI Port in Docker Compose

You can modify the default configuration of watsonx Orchestrate Developer Edition to better suit your environment. For instance, the following example changes the default UI port from 3000 to 3002 by updating the ports section in the Compose file:
docker-compose.yml
ui:
    image: ${UI_REGISTRY:-us.icr.io/watson-orchestrate-private}/wxo-chat:${UITAG:-latest}
    platform: linux/amd64
    restart: unless-stopped
    ...
    ports:  
      - "3002:4002"
    ...
This change allows the UI to run on port 3002 locally. However, it’s important to understand the implications of modifying the Compose file. The watsonx Orchestrate Developer Kit (ADK) does not provide official support for custom Docker configurations. Any changes you make are your responsibility, including troubleshooting resulting issues. In this example, after starting the Developer Edition with the custom Compose file, the CLI still attempts to access the default port (3000). This mismatch can lead to errors, such as:
CLI output
[INFO] - local tenant found
[INFO] - Auto-detecting local IP address for async tool callbacks...
[DEBUG] - IP detection failed on Linux: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'ifconfig'
[INFO] - Using Docker internal URL: http://host.docker.internal:4321
[INFO] - For external tools, consider using ngrok or similar tunneling service.
[INFO] - Waiting for orchestrate server to be fully started and ready...
[INFO] - Starting docker-compose UI service...
WARN[0000] The "USE_SAAS_ML_TOOLS_RUNTIME" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string.
WARN[0000] The "USE_SAAS_ML_TOOLS_RUNTIME" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string.
WARN[0000] The "USE_SAAS_ML_TOOLS_RUNTIME" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string.
WARN[0000] The "WATSONX_PROJECT_ID" variable is not set. Defaulting to a blank string.
[+] Running 1/1
 ✔ Container docker-ui-1  Running                                                                      0.0s
[INFO] - Chat UI Service started successfully.
[INFO] - Waiting for UI component to be initialized...
[INFO] - UI component is initialized
[ERROR] - The Chat UI service did not initialize within the expected time.  Check the logs for any errors.
[INFO] - Opening chat interface at http://localhost:3000/chat-lite
[WARNING] - When using local chat, requests that the user 'Connect Apps' must be resolved by running `orchestrate connections set-credentials`
gio: http://localhost:3000/chat-lite: Operation not supported
Despite the error, the UI runs successfully on the custom port (3002), as shown below:
This scenario highlights both the flexibility and the risks of customizing the Docker Compose file. You can tailor the configuration to meet specific requirements, but you must carefully validate your changes and be prepared to resolve any issues independently.