Installation using Docker

This guide provides a step-by-step approach to installing and setting up Dotnet Report, a powerful Analytics and Reporting Tool, on your local machine using Docker. Whether you’re a developer integrating reporting into your application or an analyst exploring data visualization, this guide will help you get started quickly and efficiently.

Dotnet Report is designed to make self-service reporting easy. With its intuitive interface and seamless database connectivity, you can:

• Connect to your SQL Server database effortlessly.
• Load and manage tables for reporting.
• Build interactive reports with a user-friendly UI.
• Create dashboards for powerful data visualization.

This guide ensures a smooth setup, from installation to creating dashboards, allowing you to make the most of Dotnet Report’s useful features.

Why Install Using Docker?

There are multiple ways to install Dotnet Report, but using Docker provides key advantages:

• Ease of Deployment: Quickly set up and run the application without worrying about dependencies.
• Portability: Run the application across different environments with minimal configuration.
• Isolation: Ensures that Dotnet Report runs in a contained environment, avoiding conflicts with other software.
• Scalability: Makes it easier to manage multiple instances of the application.

Intended Usage Reminder

This Docker-based installation is designed for standalone usage and local testing. It does not include the necessary integrations to embed Dotnet Report directly into your own applications. However, users can:

• Start with the standalone setup for local testing and configuration.
• Seamlessly transition to the embedded version later if needed, keeping all configurations, reports, and dashboards intact.
• Deploy the standalone version to any hosting provider of their choice once they’re ready to move beyond local testing.

This guide will walk you through installing the required software, configuring your database connection, and running Dotnet Report locally so you can start generating powerful insights in no time.

Step 1: Install Docker Desktop

Before you can use Docker, you need to install Docker Desktop on your machine.

For Windows:

Download Docker Desktop

• Visit Docker’s official website and download Docker Desktop for Windows.

Enable WSL 2 Backend (if required)

• Docker uses WSL 2 on Windows 10/11 for better performance.
• If prompted, follow the on-screen instructions to enable WSL 2.

Run the Installer

• Open the downloaded file and run the installer.
• Follow the setup wizard and restart your computer if required.

Verify Installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:
docker --version

You should see a version number confirming that Docker is installed.

For macOS:

Download Docker Desktop

• Go to Docker’s official website and download the macOS version.

Run the Installer

• Open the downloaded .dmg file.
• Drag the Docker.app into the Applications folder.

Start Docker

• Open Docker from the Applications folder.
• Ensure Docker is running by checking the Docker icon in the menu bar.

Verify Installation

Open Terminal and run:
docker --version

If you see the version number, Docker is successfully installed.

For Linux:

Update package lists and install dependencies
sudo apt update

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg

Add Docker’s official GPG key
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc > /dev/null

sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Set up the repository
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Install Docker
sudo apt update

sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Verify Installation
docker --version

If you see a version number, Docker is installed.

Now if you open docker desktop in your browser, it will show no container

Step 2: Pull Dotnet Report Docker Image

Once Docker is installed, you need to pull the Dotnet Report image.

docker pull dotnetreport/dotnetreport-web:latest

This command downloads the latest Dotnet Report image.

Step 3: Run Dotnet Report Container

Run the following command:

docker run -d -p 8080:8080 --name dotnetreport dotnetreport/dotnetreport-web:latest

Explanation:

• -d → Runs the container in detached mode (background).
• -p 8080:8080 → Maps port 8080 on your machine to port 8080 inside the container.
• –name dotnetreport → Assigns the container the name dotnetreport.

Verify the Container is Running

Run:

docker ps

You should see the dotnetreport container in the list.

Step 4: Access Dotnet Report

Open a browser and go to:

http://localhost:8080 

This should open the Dotnet Report portal where you can start using the application.

Step 5: Manage Your Docker Container

Here are some useful commands to manage your container:

Stop the container
docker stop dotnetreport

Restart the container
docker start dotnetreport

View container logs
docker logs dotnetreport

Remove the container
docker rm -f dotnetreport

Step 6: Optional – Run Docker with a Volume

If you want to persist data in your container, use a volume:

docker run -d -p 8080:8080 --name dotnetreport -v dotnetreport-data:/app dotnetreport/dotnetreport-web:latest

To mount a volume for data persistence run,

-v dotnetreport-data:/app

Final Notes

• If you need to customize settings, check the Docker environment variables or the Dotnet Report documentation.

If you face issues, run:
docker logs dotnetreport

to check error messages.

With this setup, you can successfully access the Dotnet Report application and start building reports and dashboards once your database is connected.