DockerChat

Docker-based real-time chat application with multi-layer protection, real-time monitoring, and encrypted communication.

⚠️ Security Notice: This is a development/educational project. Use responsibly and only on networks you own or have permission to analyze. Misuse of this tool may violate laws or terms of service.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Docker: >= 20.x
Docker Compose: >= 1.29.x

Setup and Deployment

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Nick-Maro/docker-mini-network
cd docker-mini-network

# Build and start all containers
docker compose up --build -d

# Verify all containers are running
docker compose ps

Host Configuration

Before starting the project, configure your system's hosts file:

Windows: Edit C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts Linux/macOS: Edit /etc/hosts

127.0.0.1 client.localhost
127.0.0.1 dashboard.localhost
127.0.0.1 api.localhost

Architecture Overview

System Components

Service	Description	URL	Purpose
`reverse-proxy`	NGINX reverse proxy with subdomain routing	-	Routes traffic to internal services
`server`	Bun + TypeScript backend (scalable)	`api.localhost`	Primary application server
`firewall`	Go-based programmable traffic filter	-	Advanced DDoS protection and rule-based filtering
`client`	Web client (Preact + TypeScript)	`client.localhost`	Main user interface
`dashboard`	Flask-based monitoring interface	`dashboard.localhost`	System monitoring, Redis management, and firewall control
`redis`	In-memory key-value database	-	Caching and data storage

Network Architecture

The system implements a multi-layered security architecture:

Load Balancing: NGINX reverse proxy distributes requests across backend instances
Encryption: RSA + ECDH cryptographic authentication
Session Management: Secure WebSocket sessions with nonce-based replay protection
Data Persistence: Redis for distributed storage with local fallback
Real-time Communication: WebSocket-based messaging with pub/sub patterns

Network Graph

Documentation Structure

Backend Server - Core application server architecture
Dashboard - Web-based monitoring and management interface
Firewall - Programmable traffic filtering and DDoS protection
Security - Cryptographic authentication and session management
API Reference - Complete WebSocket protocol documentation
Deployment - Production deployment and scaling guide
Troubleshooting - Common issues and debugging guide

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Last updated: August 31, 2025

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