Neo4j with Docker Compose

Introduction

Neo4j is a powerful graph database that allows for efficient data modeling and querying. Docker Compose simplifies the setup of multi-container Docker applications, making it easy to run Neo4j in a containerized environment.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following installed:

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• A modern web browser

Setting Up Docker Compose

To run Neo4j using Docker Compose, we need to create a docker-compose.yml file. This file defines the services, networks, and volumes used in your application.

version: '3.8'
services:
  neo4j:
    image: neo4j:latest
    environment:
      - NEO4J_AUTH=neo4j/test
    ports:
      - "7474:7474"
      - "7687:7687"
    volumes:
      - neo4j_data:/data

volumes:
  neo4j_data:

Save this file in your project directory. It defines a Neo4j service with basic authentication and exposes the necessary ports.

Running Neo4j

To start the Neo4j service defined in your docker-compose.yml file, run the following command in your terminal:

docker-compose up -d

The -d flag runs the containers in detached mode. You can check if the service is running with:

docker-compose ps

Accessing Neo4j

Once Neo4j is running, you can access it through your web browser at: http://localhost:7474. The default username is neo4j and the password is test.

Best Practices

Here are some best practices when using Neo4j with Docker Compose:

• Always use volumes to persist your data.
• Limit the resources allocated to your containers.
• Regularly update your Neo4j image to the latest version.
• Monitor performance using the Neo4j browser or logs.

FAQ