Overview

Comprehensive documentation of the Traefik reverse proxy setup used to manage multiple domains and SSL certificates on a Digital Ocean droplet. Traefik serves as the central routing and SSL termination point for all services.

Architecture

Core Components

  • Traefik: Reverse proxy and load balancer
  • Let’s Encrypt: Automatic SSL certificate management
  • Docker Integration: Automatic service discovery
  • Network Routing: Multi-domain and subdomain management

Service Discovery

  • Docker Labels: Automatic service detection
  • Dynamic Configuration: Real-time routing updates
  • Health Checks: Service availability monitoring
  • Load Balancing: Automatic load distribution

Configuration

Docker Compose Setup 

services:
  traefik:
    image: traefik:v3.0
    command:
      - --api.dashboard=true
      - --providers.docker=true
      - --providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false
      - --entrypoints.web.address=:80
      - --entrypoints.websecure.address=:443
      - --certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.tlschallenge=true
      - --certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.email=your-email@domain.com
      - --certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
      - ./letsencrypt:/letsencrypt
    networks:
      - web

SSL Configuration

  • Automatic SSL: Let’s Encrypt certificate generation
  • Certificate Renewal: Automatic renewal before expiration
  • HTTP to HTTPS: Automatic redirection
  • TLS Versions: Modern TLS configuration
  • Certificate Storage: Persistent certificate storage

Domain Management

  • Primary Domains: brotherhoodofnicola.com, ocfomaha.org
  • Subdomains: schedule.brotherhoodofnicola.com, chat.brotherhoodofnicola.com
  • Wildcard Certificates: Support for subdomain certificates
  • Multi-Domain: Single certificate for multiple domains

Service Routing

Ghost CMS Services

  • brotherhoodofnicola.com: Main community site
  • ocfomaha.org: Fellowship site
  • Routing: Host-based routing with SSL termination
  • Health Checks: Service availability monitoring

Specialized Applications

  • Rallly: Event scheduling at schedule.brotherhoodofnicola.com
  • Campfire: Chat application at chat.brotherhoodofnicola.com
  • Static Content: Calendar and other static resources

Network Configuration

  • External Network: Shared web network for all services
  • Service Isolation: Individual networks for databases
  • Port Management: Internal port mapping and routing
  • Load Balancing: Automatic load distribution

Security Measures

SSL/TLS Security

  • Modern TLS: TLS 1.2+ only
  • Perfect Forward Secrecy: Ephemeral key exchange
  • Certificate Pinning: HSTS headers
  • Security Headers: Comprehensive security headers

Access Control

  • Rate Limiting: Request rate limiting
  • IP Whitelisting: Restricted access for admin functions
  • Basic Authentication: Admin panel protection
  • Service Isolation: Network-level isolation

Monitoring and Logging

  • Access Logs: Comprehensive request logging
  • Error Tracking: Error monitoring and alerting
  • Performance Metrics: Response time monitoring
  • Security Events: Security event logging

Performance Optimization

Caching Strategy

  • Static Assets: Automatic caching of static content
  • Compression: Gzip compression for text content
  • CDN Integration: Content delivery network support
  • Cache Headers: Optimized cache control headers

Load Balancing

  • Round Robin: Default load balancing algorithm
  • Health Checks: Automatic unhealthy service removal
  • Circuit Breaker: Automatic failure handling
  • Retry Logic: Automatic retry for failed requests

Monitoring and Maintenance

Health Monitoring

  • Service Health: Automatic service health checks
  • SSL Status: Certificate expiration monitoring
  • Performance Metrics: Response time and throughput monitoring
  • Error Rates: Error rate monitoring and alerting

Backup and Recovery

  • Configuration Backup: Traefik configuration backup
  • Certificate Backup: SSL certificate backup
  • Log Backup: Access and error log backup
  • Disaster Recovery: Complete system restoration procedures

Update Process

  • Image Updates: Traefik image updates
  • Configuration Updates: Dynamic configuration updates
  • Certificate Updates: Automatic certificate renewal
  • Security Updates: Regular security updates

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • SSL Certificate Problems: Certificate generation and renewal issues
  • Routing Issues: Service routing and load balancing problems
  • Performance Issues: Slow response times and high resource usage
  • Configuration Errors: Incorrect routing and SSL configuration

Debugging Tools

  • Traefik Dashboard: Web-based configuration and monitoring
  • Log Analysis: Comprehensive log analysis and debugging
  • Health Checks: Service health monitoring and debugging
  • Network Diagnostics: Network connectivity and routing diagnostics

Future Enhancements

Advanced Features

  • WAF Integration: Web application firewall integration
  • DDoS Protection: Distributed denial-of-service protection
  • Advanced Load Balancing: Sophisticated load balancing algorithms
  • Service Mesh: Microservices communication management

Security Enhancements

  • Advanced Authentication: Multi-factor authentication
  • Security Scanning: Automated security vulnerability scanning
  • Compliance: Security compliance and auditing
  • Threat Detection: Advanced threat detection and prevention