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Alex Aslam
Alex Aslam

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Dockerized Databases on Your Terms: Self-Host PostgreSQL/MySQL Like a Pro (Without the 3 AM Panic) 🐳💡

#webdev #programming #javascript #automation

You’re staring at another $500/month managed DB bill. “I could self-host this,” you whisper… then imagine 2 AM alerts, corrupted backups, and security holes big enough to drive a truck through.

Relax. With Docker + a $5 VPS, you can run bulletproof PostgreSQL/MySQL databases—without becoming a full-time sysadmin. I’ve done it for 50+ apps. Let’s build yours in 15 minutes flat.

Why Self-Host? (Spoiler: It’s Not Just About Money)

Managed DBs are great… until you need:

  • Total control over configs (shared_buffers, anyone?).
  • Zero latency between app + DB (same VPS = 💥 speed).
  • Costs below $10/month (yes, it’s possible).

Warning: Don’t do this for Fortune 500 apps. Do it for:

  • Side projects
  • Internal tools
  • Learning real database ops

Step 0: Pick Your VPS (The $5 Heroes)

  • DigitalOcean: 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, dead-simple UI → $6/month.
  • Linode: 1GB RAM, NVMe storage, 1TB transfer → $5/month.
  • Hetzner: 2GB RAM, 40GB SSD (Germany-only) → €4.49/month.

Pro Move: Use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Battle-tested + Docker-friendly.

Step 1: Dockerize Your Database (5 Minutes)

For PostgreSQL: 

# docker-compose.yml  
services:  
  db:  
    image: postgres:15  
    container_name: postgres_db  
    volumes:  
      - pg_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data  
    environment:  
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: your_strong_password  
    ports:  
      - "5432:5432"  
volumes:  
  pg_data:
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For MySQL: 

services:  
  db:  
    image: mysql:8.0  
    container_name: mysql_db  
    volumes:  
      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql  
    environment:  
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: your_strong_password  
    ports:  
      - "3306:3306"  
volumes:  
  mysql_data:
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Run it:

docker compose up -d
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Boom. Your DB is alive.

Step 2: Lock Down Security (Non-Negotiable)

  1. SSH Hardening: 
   # /etc/ssh/sshd_config  
   PermitRootLogin no  
   PasswordAuthentication no  
   AllowUsers your_username
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  1. Firewall Rules: 
   ufw allow 22/tcp  
   ufw allow 5432/tcp # or 3306 for MySQL  
   ufw enable
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  1. DB User Best Practices: 
   -- NEVER use root!  
   CREATE USER app_user WITH PASSWORD 'strong!password';  
   GRANT SELECT, INSERT ON ALL TABLES TO app_user;
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Step 3: Automated Backups (Sleep Soundly)

Backup Script (/scripts/backup_db.sh):

#!/bin/bash  
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)  
docker exec postgres_db pg_dump -U postgres mydb > /backups/mydb_$DATE.sql  
# For MySQL:  
# docker exec mysql_db mysqldump -u root -p'pass' mydb > /backups/mydb_$DATE.sql
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Cron Job (Daily at 2 AM):

crontab -e  
0 2 * * * /bin/bash /scripts/backup_db.sh
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Pro Tip: Sync backups to S3/Backblaze:

rclone sync /backups s3:bucket_name
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Step 4: Monitoring (No More Guessing Games)

Install Prometheus + Grafana:

# docker-compose-monitoring.yml  
services:  
  prometheus:  
    image: prom/prometheus  
    volumes:  
      - ./prometheus.yml:/etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml  

  grafana:  
    image: grafana/grafana  
    ports:  
      - "3000:3000"
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Grab a Dashboard:

When Self-Hosting Bites Back (Be Honest!)

  • Disaster Strikes: VPS provider outage → DB down.
  • Security Fail: You missed a pg_hba.conf tweak → hacked.
  • Scale Walls: 100+ writes/sec? Good luck tuning solo.

Switch to Managed When:

  • You value sleep > $200/month savings.
  • Your app makes real revenue.
  • You’re bored of being a DBA.

Real-World Cost Breakdown

Item Managed DB Self-Hosted
Postgres $50+/month $5/month
Backups $20+/month $0.023/GB (S3)
Expertise $0 (their ops) Your weekends

TL;DR:

  • Docker Compose: Your database’s blueprint.
  • $5 VPS: Your playground.
  • Backups + Monitoring: Your insurance. Total control under $10/month? Priceless.

Your Move:

  1. Spin up a $5 VPS.
  2. Run the docker-compose.yml above.
  3. Never pay for overkill again.

Tag that friend still paying for Heroku Postgres for their blog. They need freedom.

Self-hosting horror story? Share below! We’ve all been there. 😅💬

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