Docker deployment (v8)

Syncplify Server! is available as a Docker image on Docker Hub, as syncplify/ss. This page covers how to deploy it with Docker Compose; the manual page on Docker adds the day to day commands, backup and restore.

Prerequisites

• A Linux host (Docker on Windows is not supported yet).
• Docker Engine 24.0 or later.
• Docker Compose v2 (the docker compose plugin, not the legacy docker-compose).
• The host must not already use ports 21, 22, 990, 6443 or 6444 for other services, nor 44388 if you attach a Syncplify R2FS! storage node.

The compose file

Create a docker-compose.yml file on your Docker host with the following content:

services:
  syncplify-server:
    image: syncplify/ss:latest
    container_name: syncplify-server
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      # Activates the in process worker supervisor (replaces systemd).
      # Do NOT remove or change this variable.
      - SS_CONTAINER_MODE=1
    ports:
      - "22:22"
      - "21:21"
      - "990:990"
      - "6443:6443"
      - "6444:6444"
      - "44388:44388"
    volumes:
      - /opt/Syncplify/Server/data:/opt/Syncplify/Server/data
      - /opt/Syncplify/Server/log:/opt/Syncplify/Server/log
      # Add one volume mount for each directory you want the SFTP/FTP server
      # to be able to use as a home or root directory for your users.
      # Example:
      - /var/sftpdata:/var/sftpdata
      # Access to the host machine ID is required for licensing.
      - /etc/machine-id:/etc/machine-id:ro

WARNING

Any host directory you intend to use as a virtual site root, a user home or a shared folder must be mounted into the container. The container cannot access host paths that are not listed under volumes. Add one entry per directory, keeping the host path and the container path identical (as in - /var/sftpdata:/var/sftpdata). Any path that suits your environment works.

The ports the compose file publishes:

Host port	Container port	Purpose
22	22	SFTP
21	21	FTP control connection
990	990	Implicit FTPS
6443	6443	SuperAdmin and Admin UI, REST API and setup wizard (HTTPS)
6444	6444	WebClient (HTTPS)
44388	44388	Syncplify R2FS! storage nodes; remove the line if you do not use R2FS!

If your host already uses port 22 for SSH, change the left side of the mapping (for example "2222:22") and tell your SFTP users to connect on the new port.

Then follow the steps below.

1. Create the persistent directories

sudo mkdir -p /opt/Syncplify/Server/data /opt/Syncplify/Server/log /var/sftpdata

All configuration, the license file, the virtual site definitions and the internal database are stored under /opt/Syncplify/Server/data. Logs are written to /opt/Syncplify/Server/log. Both directories survive container restarts and upgrades.

2. Pull the image and start

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

On the first start the container initializes a clean installation automatically.

3. Complete the initial setup

Open a browser and go to https://your-docker-host:6443. Follow the setup wizard to create your first SuperAdmin account, activate your license and set up your virtual sites.

WARNING

During the initial setup, the wizard is reachable by any client that can reach port 6443. Make sure the port is not publicly reachable until the setup is complete; host firewall rules or Docker network policies can restrict it temporarily.

Updating a container

A node that runs in a container never updates itself: the image is the unit of update. The Updates page of the SuperAdmin UI only reports what the release channel offers. To update, deploy the newer image:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d --force-recreate

The data volume is untouched.