Docker Deployment - Ant Media Server

Overview

Ant Media Server can be deployed using Docker containers, providing a consistent and portable deployment method across different environments. This guide covers Docker-based deployment strategies.

Prerequisites

Docker Engine 20.10 or later
Docker Compose v2.0 or later (for compose deployments)
At least 4GB RAM allocated to Docker
Ports 5080, 5443, 1935, and 5000-65000 available

Quick Start

Pull the Official Image

Ant Media Server provides official Docker images:

# Community Edition
docker pull antmedia/ant-media-server:latest

# Enterprise Edition
docker pull antmedia/ant-media-server:latest-enterprise

Run a Container

docker run -d \
  --name ant-media-server \
  -p 5080:5080 \
  -p 5443:5443 \
  -p 1935:1935 \
  -p 5000-65000:5000-65000/udp \
  antmedia/ant-media-server:latest

Access the web panel at http://localhost:5080

Docker Run with Advanced Configuration

With Environment Variables

docker run -d \
  --name ant-media-server \
  -p 5080:5080 \
  -p 5443:5443 \
  -p 1935:1935 \
  -p 5000-65000:5000-65000/udp \
  -e JVM_MEMORY_OPTIONS="-Xms2g -Xmx4g" \
  -e JAVA_HOME="/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64" \
  antmedia/ant-media-server:latest

With Persistent Storage

docker run -d \
  --name ant-media-server \
  -p 5080:5080 \
  -p 5443:5443 \
  -p 1935:1935 \
  -p 5000-65000:5000-65000/udp \
  -v /path/to/conf:/usr/local/antmedia/conf \
  -v /path/to/streams:/usr/local/antmedia/webapps/LiveApp/streams \
  -v /path/to/logs:/var/log/antmedia \
  antmedia/ant-media-server:latest

With License Key (Enterprise)

docker run -d \
  --name ant-media-server \
  -p 5080:5080 \
  -p 5443:5443 \
  -p 1935:1935 \
  -p 5000-65000:5000-65000/udp \
  -e SERVER_LICENSE_KEY="YOUR_LICENSE_KEY" \
  antmedia/ant-media-server:latest-enterprise

Docker Compose

Basic Docker Compose Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3.8'

services:
  antmedia:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest
    container_name: ant-media-server
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5080:5080"      # HTTP
      - "5443:5443"      # HTTPS
      - "1935:1935"      # RTMP
      - "5000-65000:5000-65000/udp"  # WebRTC
    environment:
      - JVM_MEMORY_OPTIONS=-Xms2g -Xmx4g
    volumes:
      - ./conf:/usr/local/antmedia/conf
      - ./streams:/usr/local/antmedia/webapps/LiveApp/streams
      - ./logs:/var/log/antmedia
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

networks:
  antmedia-network:
    driver: bridge

Start the service:

docker-compose up -d

Enterprise Edition with MongoDB

version: '3.8'

services:
  mongodb:
    image: mongo:7.0
    container_name: antmedia-mongodb
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME: antmedia
      MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD: yourpassword
    volumes:
      - mongodb-data:/data/db
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

  antmedia:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest-enterprise
    container_name: ant-media-server
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - mongodb
    ports:
      - "5080:5080"
      - "5443:5443"
      - "1935:1935"
      - "5000-65000:5000-65000/udp"
    environment:
      - SERVER_LICENSE_KEY=YOUR_LICENSE_KEY
      - JVM_MEMORY_OPTIONS=-Xms2g -Xmx4g
      - SERVER_MODE=cluster
      - DB_URL=mongodb://antmedia:yourpassword@mongodb:27017/antmedia
    volumes:
      - ./conf:/usr/local/antmedia/conf
      - ./streams:/usr/local/antmedia/webapps/LiveApp/streams
      - ./logs:/var/log/antmedia
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

volumes:
  mongodb-data:

networks:
  antmedia-network:
    driver: bridge

Production Setup with SSL

version: '3.8'

services:
  antmedia:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest-enterprise
    container_name: ant-media-server
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:5080"        # HTTP (for Let's Encrypt)
      - "443:5443"       # HTTPS
      - "1935:1935"      # RTMP
      - "5000-65000:5000-65000/udp"  # WebRTC
    environment:
      - SERVER_LICENSE_KEY=YOUR_LICENSE_KEY
      - JVM_MEMORY_OPTIONS=-Xms4g -Xmx8g
      - DOMAIN_NAME=stream.example.com
    volumes:
      - ./conf:/usr/local/antmedia/conf
      - ./streams:/usr/local/antmedia/webapps/LiveApp/streams
      - ./logs:/var/log/antmedia
      - /etc/letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt:ro
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

networks:
  antmedia-network:
    driver: bridge

Volume Mounts

Important Directories

Host Path	Container Path	Purpose
./conf	/usr/local/antmedia/conf	Configuration files
./streams	/usr/local/antmedia/webapps/LiveApp/streams	Recorded streams
./logs	/var/log/antmedia	Application logs
./webapps	/usr/local/antmedia/webapps	Custom applications
/etc/letsencrypt	/etc/letsencrypt	SSL certificates

Mounting volumes ensures your data persists even if the container is removed or recreated.

Environment Variables

Available Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default	Example
`JVM_MEMORY_OPTIONS`	JVM heap size configuration	`-Xms1g`	`-Xms2g -Xmx4g`
`JAVA_HOME`	Java installation directory	`/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64`	Custom path
`SERVER_LICENSE_KEY`	Enterprise license key	-	Your license key
`SERVER_MODE`	Server mode	`standalone`	`cluster`
`DB_URL`	Database connection URL	-	`mongodb://user:pass@host:27017/db`
`DOMAIN_NAME`	Domain for SSL setup	-	`stream.example.com`

Resource Limits

Configure Docker resource limits:

services:
  antmedia:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest
    # ... other config ...
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: '4'
          memory: 8G
        reservations:
          cpus: '2'
          memory: 4G

Container Management

Start/Stop Containers

# Start
docker-compose up -d

# Stop
docker-compose down

# Restart
docker-compose restart

# Stop without removing containers
docker-compose stop

View Logs

# All logs
docker-compose logs -f

# Specific service
docker-compose logs -f antmedia

# Last 100 lines
docker-compose logs --tail=100 antmedia

Execute Commands Inside Container

# Interactive shell
docker exec -it ant-media-server bash

# Run specific command
docker exec ant-media-server ls -la /usr/local/antmedia/conf

SSL/TLS Configuration in Docker

Using enable_ssl.sh Script

Execute the SSL script inside the running container:

# With custom domain
docker exec -it ant-media-server /usr/local/antmedia/enable_ssl.sh -d yourdomain.com

# With Let's Encrypt email
docker exec -it ant-media-server /usr/local/antmedia/enable_ssl.sh -d yourdomain.com -e admin@yourdomain.com

Port 80 must be available for Let’s Encrypt validation. The enable_ssl.sh script checks if port 80 is in use.

Using Pre-existing Certificates

Mount your certificate files:

volumes:
  - /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem:/usr/local/antmedia/conf/fullchain.pem:ro
  - /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/privkey.pem:/usr/local/antmedia/conf/privkey.pem:ro
  - /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/chain.pem:/usr/local/antmedia/conf/chain.pem:ro

Cluster Mode with Docker

Multi-Node Setup

version: '3.8'

services:
  mongodb:
    image: mongo:7.0
    container_name: antmedia-mongodb
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME: antmedia
      MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD: strongpassword
    volumes:
      - mongodb-data:/data/db
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

  antmedia-node1:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest-enterprise
    container_name: antmedia-node1
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - mongodb
    ports:
      - "5080:5080"
      - "5443:5443"
      - "1935:1935"
      - "5000-5500:5000-5500/udp"
    environment:
      - SERVER_LICENSE_KEY=YOUR_LICENSE_KEY
      - SERVER_MODE=cluster
      - DB_URL=mongodb://antmedia:strongpassword@mongodb:27017/antmedia
    volumes:
      - ./logs/node1:/var/log/antmedia
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

  antmedia-node2:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest-enterprise
    container_name: antmedia-node2
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - mongodb
    ports:
      - "5081:5080"
      - "5444:5443"
      - "1936:1935"
      - "5501-6000:5000-5500/udp"
    environment:
      - SERVER_LICENSE_KEY=YOUR_LICENSE_KEY
      - SERVER_MODE=cluster
      - DB_URL=mongodb://antmedia:strongpassword@mongodb:27017/antmedia
    volumes:
      - ./logs/node2:/var/log/antmedia
    networks:
      - antmedia-network

volumes:
  mongodb-data:

networks:
  antmedia-network:
    driver: bridge

Health Checks

Add health checks to your Docker Compose:

services:
  antmedia:
    image: antmedia/ant-media-server:latest
    # ... other config ...
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost:5080"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3
      start_period: 40s

Docker Networking

Host Network Mode

For optimal WebRTC performance, use host network mode:

docker run -d \
  --name ant-media-server \
  --network host \
  -e JVM_MEMORY_OPTIONS="-Xms2g -Xmx4g" \
  antmedia/ant-media-server:latest

Host network mode bypasses Docker’s network isolation. Use with caution and ensure firewall rules are properly configured.

Backup and Restore

Backup Configuration and Streams

# Backup volumes
docker run --rm \
  -v ant-media-server_conf:/conf \
  -v ant-media-server_streams:/streams \
  -v $(pwd):/backup \
  alpine tar czf /backup/antmedia-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /conf /streams

Restore from Backup

# Restore volumes
docker run --rm \
  -v ant-media-server_conf:/conf \
  -v ant-media-server_streams:/streams \
  -v $(pwd):/backup \
  alpine tar xzf /backup/antmedia-backup-20260304.tar.gz

Troubleshooting

Container Won’t Start

Check logs:

docker logs ant-media-server
docker-compose logs antmedia

Port Conflicts

Find what’s using the port:

sudo lsof -i :5080
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 5080

Performance Issues

Monitor container resources:

docker stats ant-media-server

Network Connectivity

Test network from inside container:

docker exec -it ant-media-server ping -c 3 google.com
docker exec -it ant-media-server curl -I http://localhost:5080

WebRTC UDP Ports

Ensure UDP ports are properly mapped:

# Check if UDP ports are listening
docker exec ant-media-server netstat -anu | grep 5000

Production Best Practices

Use Named Volumes

Use Docker named volumes instead of bind mounts for better performance:

volumes:
  - conf-data:/usr/local/antmedia/conf
  - stream-data:/usr/local/antmedia/webapps/LiveApp/streams

Set Resource Limits

Always define resource limits to prevent resource exhaustion:

deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      cpus: '4'
      memory: 8G

Configure Logging

Use Docker’s logging drivers for centralized log management:

logging:
  driver: "json-file"
  options:
    max-size: "100m"
    max-file: "5"

Use Health Checks

Implement health checks for automatic container recovery

Secure with SSL

Always use SSL/TLS in production environments

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Quick Start

​Pull the Official Image

​Run a Container

​Docker Run with Advanced Configuration

​With Environment Variables

​With Persistent Storage

​With License Key (Enterprise)

​Docker Compose

​Basic Docker Compose Configuration

​Enterprise Edition with MongoDB

​Production Setup with SSL

​Volume Mounts

​Important Directories

​Environment Variables

​Available Environment Variables

​Resource Limits

​Container Management

​Start/Stop Containers

​View Logs

​Execute Commands Inside Container

​SSL/TLS Configuration in Docker

​Using enable_ssl.sh Script

​Using Pre-existing Certificates

​Cluster Mode with Docker

​Multi-Node Setup

​Health Checks

​Docker Networking

​Host Network Mode

​Backup and Restore

​Backup Configuration and Streams

​Restore from Backup

​Troubleshooting

​Container Won’t Start

​Port Conflicts

​Performance Issues

​Network Connectivity

​WebRTC UDP Ports

​Production Best Practices

​Next Steps

Overview

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Pull the Official Image

Run a Container

Docker Run with Advanced Configuration

With Environment Variables

With Persistent Storage

With License Key (Enterprise)

Docker Compose

Basic Docker Compose Configuration

Enterprise Edition with MongoDB

Production Setup with SSL

Volume Mounts

Important Directories

Environment Variables

Available Environment Variables

Resource Limits

Container Management

Start/Stop Containers

View Logs

Execute Commands Inside Container

SSL/TLS Configuration in Docker

Using enable_ssl.sh Script

Using Pre-existing Certificates

Cluster Mode with Docker

Multi-Node Setup

Health Checks

Docker Networking

Host Network Mode

Backup and Restore

Backup Configuration and Streams

Restore from Backup

Troubleshooting

Container Won’t Start

Port Conflicts

Performance Issues

Network Connectivity

WebRTC UDP Ports

Production Best Practices

Next Steps