Database instances
Provision, register, and manage MariaDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL instances — configuration, lifecycle, credentials, logs, and connecting external applications.
An instance is a database server process that Fleetdock manages. Fleetdock supports MariaDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL instances. This page covers provisioning new instances, the instance lifecycle, and connecting to them.
Managed vs external instances
- Managed instances run on your nodes. They are either provisioned by Fleetdock (a
database Docker container it launches) or registered (an existing database on the
node). Operations run through that node's agent against
127.0.0.1. - External instances are databases you already host elsewhere. The control plane connects to them directly and can import their existing databases.
Provisioning a database instance
Open Servers → your server → Add instance → Provision new. Fleetdock launches a database container on the node for the engine you choose — MariaDB, MySQL, or PostgreSQL — with a named data volume and a published port.
Configuration fields
- Engine — MariaDB, MySQL, or PostgreSQL.
- Version — the image version to run (the engine name doubles as the container image).
- Port assignment — the port published on the server for client access (defaults to the
engine's standard port:
3306for MariaDB/MySQL,5432for PostgreSQL). - Storage — a named Docker data volume backing the instance.
- Credentials — a generated superuser password stored encrypted; you can create additional users and grants afterward.
- Resource limits — constrain the container's resource usage where supported.
Provisioning requires Docker on the node. The agent installer installs Docker automatically. All three engines — MariaDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL — can be provisioned, registered, or connected as external instances.
Registering an existing database
Choose Add instance → Register (managed) to point Fleetdock at a database already running on the node, or Add instance → External to connect to a database hosted elsewhere. Use Import DBs to pull existing databases into Fleetdock's inventory.
Status lifecycle
A provisioned instance moves through states as you operate it. From its detail page you can:
- Start / Stop / Restart the underlying container.
- Inspect its info, databases, and database users with their grants.
- Delete the instance.
Restarting, stopping, and deleting
Start, stop, and restart act on the provisioned container. Deleting removes the container and, if you confirm, its data volume.
Deleting a provisioned instance removes its container. If you confirm removal of the data volume, the databases on it are destroyed permanently. Back up first.
Inspecting logs
Container-level logs are available on the node with standard Docker tooling:
docker logs <container-name>Operation-level history (create, drop, backup, restore, connection test) is tracked on the Operations page for every instance.
Connecting from external applications
How you connect depends on where your application runs.
Private network (recommended for internal apps)
Provisioned instances publish a port on the server. Connect with the client for your engine using the server's internal address and the published port:
mariadb -h <server-address> -P <published-port> -u <user> -ppsql "postgresql://<user>@<server-address>:<published-port>/<database>"The instance port must be reachable from wherever your application connects — and, for live administration, from the control plane. Keep it on a private network where possible. See Networking.
Public access via Fleetdock Gateway
For applications outside your private network, enable public access on the database
page (Connectivity). Fleetdock assigns a stable gateway endpoint
(gateway.example.com:<port>) and routes traffic through HAProxy with CIDR enforcement.
Public access is disabled by default. Do not expose database ports directly to the internet as your primary pattern — use the gateway with application credentials and CIDR allowlists. See External database access.
Use application credentials (not instance root credentials) for external apps. The connection URL is shown once on create or rotate.
Databases on an instance
Within an instance you create logical databases. When admin credentials exist, creating a database physically creates it via an operation; otherwise it is registered as metadata-only. Databases can be locked, unlocked, and soft-deleted with a seven-day recovery window.