Install JanusGraph Inside Docker Container in Linux

JanusGraph is a graph database that stores nodes and relationships instead of tables, or documents. JanusGraph is accessible using the Gremlin query language, which allows retrieving and modifying data in the graph.

This tutorial explains how to install JanusGraph inside a Docker container in the Linux. Commands have been tested on Ubuntu.

Prepare environment

Make sure you have installed Docker in your system. If you are using Ubuntu, installation instructions can be found in the post.

Install JanusGraph

Before starting, create directory for data:

sudo mkdir -p /opt/janusgraph/data

Set janusgraph user (ID: 999) as owner for newly created directory:

sudo chown -R 999:999 /opt/janusgraph

Note: it doesn't matter that janusgraph user doesn't exist on host system. The janusgraph user will be created in the container.

• Host network

Run the following command to create a container for JanusGraph that uses host network:

docker run -d --name=janusgraph --restart=always --network=host \
    -v /opt/janusgraph/data:/var/lib/janusgraph \
    janusgraph/janusgraph

• User-defined bridge network

User-defined bridge network can be used for listening on different port. By default, JanusGraph service is listening on port 8182. It can be changed with -p option.

docker network create app-net

docker run -d --name=janusgraph --restart=always --network=app-net \
    -p 8080:8182 \
    -v /opt/janusgraph/data:/var/lib/janusgraph \
    janusgraph/janusgraph

Testing JanusGraph

Run the following command to start a Gremlin Console:

docker exec -it janusgraph bin/gremlin.sh

The command launches an interactive shell. JanusGraph uses the Gremlin Server for processing client queries. Connect to Gremlin Server using the command:

:remote connect tinkerpop.server conf/remote.yaml

Outputs the following line on successful connection:

==>Configured localhost/127.0.0.1:8182

Exit Gremlin Console:

:exit

Uninstall JanusGraph

To completely remove JanusGraph, remove its container:

docker rm --force janusgraph

Remove JanusGraph image:

docker rmi janusgraph/janusgraph

You can also remove JanusGraph data:

sudo rm -rf /opt/janusgraph

If a user-defined bridge network was created, you can delete it as follows:

docker network rm app-net