Master Spring Boot 3 Docker Compose: 128 Real‑World Cases & Step‑by‑Step Guide

Introduction

Spring Boot 3.2.5 now includes a Docker Compose module that simplifies the definition and management of dependent services such as MySQL and Redis.

Prerequisites

Install Docker Desktop (Windows) and ensure WSL is updated with wsl --update .

Dependency Management

Add the Docker Compose starter as an optional dependency:

<code>&lt;dependency&gt;
  &lt;groupId&gt;org.springframework.boot&lt;/groupId&gt;
  &lt;artifactId&gt;spring-boot-docker-compose&lt;/artifactId&gt;
  &lt;optional&gt;true&lt;/optional&gt;
&lt;/dependency&gt;
</code>

When the dependency is present Spring Boot will:

Search the application directory for compose.yml and related files.

Invoke docker compose using the discovered file.

Create a service‑connection bean for each supported container.

Call docker compose stop when the application shuts down.

Creating a Project

Select MySQL, Redis and Docker Compose during project generation. Spring Boot automatically creates a compose.yml with MySQL and Redis services.

<code>services:
  mysql:
    image: 'mysql:latest'
    environment:
      - 'MYSQL_DATABASE=mydatabase'
      - 'MYSQL_PASSWORD=secret'
      - 'MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=verysecret'
      - 'MYSQL_USER=myuser'
    ports:
      - '3306'
  redis:
    image: 'redis:latest'
    ports:
      - '6379'
</code>

Running the application pulls the images, starts the containers, and logs show successful connections.

Database Operations

Even without explicit configuration, the application can use the automatically created beans. Example entity, repository, service and controller:

<code>@Entity
@Table(name = "t_user")
public class User {
  @Id
  @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
  private Long id;
  private String name;
  // getters and setters
}

public interface UserRepository extends JpaRepository<User, Long> {}

@Service
public class UserService {
  private final UserRepository userRepository;
  public UserService(UserRepository userRepository) {
    this.userRepository = userRepository;
  }
  @Transactional
  public User save(User user) {
    return this.userRepository.saveAndFlush(user);
  }
  public List<User> query() {
    return this.userRepository.findAll();
  }
}

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/users")
public class UserController {
  @Resource
  private UserService userService;
  @PostMapping("")
  public User save(@RequestBody User user) {
    return this.userService.save(user);
  }
  @GetMapping("")
  public List<User> list() {
    return this.userService.query();
  }
}
</code>

Advanced Configuration

Custom Compose File

<code>spring:
  docker:
    compose:
      file: "../my-compose.yml"
</code>

Lifecycle Management

Control when Docker Compose starts and stops with spring.docker.compose.lifecycle-management . Supported values are none , start-only , and start-and-stop .

<code>spring:
  docker:
    compose:
      lifecycle-management: start-and-stop
      start:
        command: start
      stop:
        command: down
        timeout: 1m
</code>

Container Persistence

Persist MySQL data by mounting a host volume:

<code>services:
  mysql:
    image: 'mysql:latest'
    command: --lower_case_table_names=1
    environment:
      - 'MYSQL_DATABASE=demo'
      - 'MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=123123'
    ports:
      - '3308:3306'
    volumes:
      - 'd:/mysql/data:/var/lib/mysql'
</code>

Ignoring a Container

Prevent Spring Boot from connecting to a specific container by adding the label org.springframework.boot.ignore=true :

<code>services:
  mysql:
    image: 'mysql:latest'
    labels:
      'org.springframework.boot.ignore': true
</code>

These examples demonstrate how Spring Boot 3 can automatically manage Docker Compose services, reducing boilerplate configuration and streamlining development workflows.