Multi-Database Docker Stack

A local development environment running four database engines in Docker, pre-loaded with real-world sample datasets. Built for Apple Silicon (ARM64) Macs.

Stack

Service	Image	Port
PostgreSQL 16	postgres:16	5432
pgAdmin 4	dpage/pgadmin4	5050
MongoDB 7	mongo:7	27017
Azure SQL Edge	mcr.microsoft.com/azure-sql-edge	1433

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Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop (or OrbStack)
• Mac with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel
• Git

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Getting Started

1. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/thescriptingcave/multi-database-docker-stack.git
cd multi-database-docker-stack

2. Configure environment variables

cp .env.template .env

Open .env and replace all placeholder values with your own passwords:

POSTGRES_USER=pguser
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=your_password
POSTGRES_DB=mydb

PGADMIN_EMAIL=admin@local.dev
PGADMIN_PASSWORD=your_password

MONGO_ROOT_USER=mongouser
MONGO_ROOT_PASSWORD=your_password
MONGO_DB=mydb

MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD=YourStrong!Passw0rd

⚠️ The .env file is listed in .gitignore and will never be committed.

3. Set up the backups folder

backups/
├── mssql/
│   ├── AdventureWorks2019.bak
│   └── AdventureWorksDW2019.bak
├── synthea_sample_data_csv_latest/
│   ├── patients.csv
│   ├── encounters.csv
│   └── ... (18 CSV files)
└── mongo_sample_dbs/
    ├── sample_airbnb/
    ├── sample_analytics/
    ├── sample_geospatial/
    ├── sample_mflix/
    ├── sample_supplies/
    ├── sample_training/
    └── sample_weatherdata/

Download the sample data:

• SQL Server: AdventureWorks 2019 — download AdventureWorks2019.bak and AdventureWorksDW2019.bak
• PostgreSQL: Synthea Sample Data (CSV)
• MongoDB: Atlas Sample Datasets

4. Start the stack

docker compose up -d

The first run will build the custom SQL Server image (installs sqlcmd) — this takes a few minutes but is cached afterwards.

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Loading Sample Data

PostgreSQL — Synthea Healthcare Data

bash load_synthea.sh

The script automatically creates the healthcare database if it doesn't exist — no manual setup needed.

Creates and populates 18 tables in a healthcare database:

Table	Description
patients	Synthetic patient demographics
encounters	Medical visits
conditions	Diagnoses
medications	Prescriptions
observations	Lab results, vitals
procedures	Medical procedures
allergies	Allergy records
careplans	Care plan details
claims	Insurance claims
claims_transactions	Claim payment transactions
devices	Medical devices
imaging_studies	Radiology studies
immunizations	Vaccination records
organizations	Healthcare organizations
payer_transitions	Insurance transitions
payers	Insurance payers
providers	Healthcare providers
supplies	Medical supplies

MongoDB — Atlas Sample Datasets

bash load_mongo.sh

Loads 7 databases and 18 collections:

Database	Collections
sample_airbnb	listingsAndReviews
sample_analytics	accounts, customers, transactions
sample_geospatial	shipwrecks
sample_mflix	comments, movies, sessions, theaters, users
sample_supplies	sales
sample_training	companies, grades, inspections, posts, routes, stories, trips, tweets, zips
sample_weatherdata	data

SQL Server — AdventureWorks

Run the following after the stack is healthy. Replace YourPassword with your MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD value:

# Check logical file names first
source .env && docker exec -it azure_sql_edge sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P "$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD" -No -C \
  -Q "RESTORE FILELISTONLY FROM DISK='/backups/mssql/AdventureWorks2019.bak'"

# Restore AdventureWorks2019
source .env && docker exec -it azure_sql_edge sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P "$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD" -No -C \
  -Q "RESTORE DATABASE [AdventureWorks2019] FROM DISK='/backups/mssql/AdventureWorks2019.bak' WITH MOVE 'AdventureWorks2019' TO '/var/opt/mssql/data/AdventureWorks2019.mdf', MOVE 'AdventureWorks2019_log' TO '/var/opt/mssql/data/AdventureWorks2019_log.ldf', NOUNLOAD, STATS=10"

# Restore AdventureWorksDW2019
source .env && docker exec -it azure_sql_edge sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P "$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD" -No -C \
  -Q "RESTORE DATABASE [AdventureWorksDW2019] FROM DISK='/backups/mssql/AdventureWorksDW2019.bak' WITH MOVE 'AdventureWorksDW2019' TO '/var/opt/mssql/data/AdventureWorksDW2019.mdf', MOVE 'AdventureWorksDW2019_log' TO '/var/opt/mssql/data/AdventureWorksDW2019_log.ldf', NOUNLOAD, STATS=10"

⚠️ The -No -C flags are required because Azure SQL Edge uses a self-signed SSL certificate.

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Accessing the Databases

pgAdmin (PostgreSQL UI)

Open http://localhost:5050 in your browser.

• Email: value of PGADMIN_EMAIL in .env
• Password: value of PGADMIN_PASSWORD in .env

To connect to PostgreSQL, register a new server with:

• Host: postgres
• Port: 5432
• Username: value of POSTGRES_USER
• Password: value of POSTGRES_PASSWORD

PostgreSQL (CLI)

source .env && docker exec -it postgres psql -U $POSTGRES_USER -d healthcare

MongoDB (CLI)

source .env && docker exec -it mongodb mongosh -u $MONGO_ROOT_USER -p $MONGO_ROOT_PASSWORD --authenticationDatabase admin

SQL Server (CLI)

source .env && docker exec -it azure_sql_edge sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P "$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD" -No -C

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Stopping and Starting

# Stop all containers (data is persisted)
docker compose down

# Start again
docker compose up -d

# Stop and remove all data (destructive!)
docker compose down -v

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Project Structure

.
├── docker-compose.yml        # Main stack definition
├── sqlserver.Dockerfile      # Custom SQL Edge image with sqlcmd
├── load_synthea.sh           # PostgreSQL data loader
├── load_mongo.sh             # MongoDB data loader
├── .env                      # Your credentials (never committed)
├── .env.template             # Credentials template (safe to commit)
├── .gitignore
└── backups/                  # Sample data files (never committed)
    ├── mssql/
    ├── synthea_sample_data_csv_latest/
    └── mongo_sample_dbs/

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Notes

• Apple Silicon: Azure SQL Edge is used instead of standard SQL Server as it is the only ARM64-native Microsoft SQL Server image available. Standard SQL Server .bak files from SQL Server 2022+ are not compatible.
• Persisted storage: All data is stored in named Docker volumes and survives container restarts. Only docker compose down -v will delete it.
• SSL: Azure SQL Edge uses a self-signed certificate — always include -No -C flags when using sqlcmd.