Setting Up Multiple Database Connections in Laravel Using Docker

In this guide, we’ll walk through the process of setting up multiple database connections in a Laravel project using Docker. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to organize your Docker and database configuration files efficiently and ensure smooth database connections.

Step 1: Create a New Folder in Your Laravel Project

First, navigate to your Laravel project directory. To keep things organized, create a new folder named myFolder to store Docker and database configuration files.

mkdir myFolder

Step 2: Create New Environment and Configuration Files

Inside the myFolder folder, create a new .env file to manage environment variables such as DB_PORT, DB_USERNAME, and DB_HOST. This file will help you define the necessary database credentials and connection settings.

Additionally, create a .yml file, for example, docker-compose.yml, to define Docker services, networks, and volumes.

Step 3: Docker Compose Configuration

Open the docker-compose.yml file and configure the services according to your requirements. Here, you'll specify the database services using appropriate images (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL). Make sure to set the environment variables in the Docker service definition to match those in the .env file.

Example docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'

services:
  app:
    image: laravel:latest
    container_name: laravel_app
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html
    depends_on:
      - mysql
      - postgres

  mysql:
    image: mysql:5.7
    container_name: mysql_db
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpassword
      MYSQL_DATABASE: laravel_db1
      MYSQL_USER: user
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: password
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"
    volumes:
      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql

  postgres:
    image: postgres:13
    container_name: postgres_db
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: laravel_db2
      POSTGRES_USER: user
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: password
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  mysql_data:
  postgres_data:

Step 4: Starting Docker Containers

Navigate to the directory where your docker-compose.yml file is located and run the following command to start the containers in detached mode:

docker-compose up -d

To ensure everything is running smoothly, check the status of the containers with:

docker ps

Step 5: Connect the Database to Dbvear or Any Other Database Tool

Now, connect your database tool (e.g., Dbvear) using the username, port, and other credentials you specified in your .env file. This will allow you to interact with your databases through an intuitive interface.

Step 6: Test the Connection

Finally, verify that you have successfully connected to the databases. You should be able to run queries and manage your database without any issues.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve set up multiple database connections in your Laravel project using Docker. This setup allows for a more organized and manageable development environment, making it easier to work with different database systems within a single application.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance. Happy coding!