Portainer: Installation guide on Synology in Docker

Hello!

Today we will focus on one of the key tools for system administrators – Portainer. Additionally, the value this interface brings to managing Docker containers on your Synology NAS is huge. This guide will walk you through the installation process step by step, which will open the door to simpler and more efficient management of applications in containers. Are you ready to deepen your knowledge and skills?

Introduction

What is a Portainer?

Portainer is a comprehensive Docker container management tool that provides the user with an intuitive graphical interface. In short, Portainer acts as a control panel that allows you to easily manage Docker containers, images, networks and volumes without using the command line.

One of the biggest advantages of Portainer is its user-friendly interface, making it easy for even novice users to quickly master Docker containers. It also makes it easy to view and monitor all running containers, create new containers from existing images, import and export containers, manage volumes and configure networks.

What’s more, Portainer also offers advanced features such as user and team management, access control and support for multiple Docker instances. With this tool, system administrators can manage their container environments more efficiently, and facilitate collaboration across teams responsible for developing and maintaining Docker container-based applications.

What is Synology?

Synology is a company specializing in the production of network hardware and software for data storage and management. Their main products are NAS (Network Attached Storage) servers, which offer a wide range of functions such as file storage, media sharing, backup, and hosting network services.

Thanks to their flexibility, Synology devices are used both in home networks, where they serve as a central data storage and media server, and in businesses, where they are used to store and share files and run a variety of business applications, such as email servers, file servers, and project management platforms.

In addition, Synology devices are popular in security-oriented environments, where they are used to store surveillance camera footage and run video surveillance systems. Moreover, thanks to the wide range of applications available in their ecosystem, users can expand the functionality of their NAS servers by installing virtualization servers or cloud data management solutions, among others. In this way, Synology becomes not only a central data storage point, but also a platform for extensive IT infrastructure management in diverse environments.

Preparation

In order to prepare the tutorial, we will adopt an established domain name and certain configuration names, shown below. For customized configuration, apply settings according to individual requirements.

• Full domain name (FQDN) of Synology DSM: https://dsm.xyz.com,
• Installed on Synology via Package Center: Container Manager.

Step 1 – Installing Container Manager on Synology

Until version 6.2, a Docker package was available on the Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, which allowed users to run application containers on NAS servers. With the introduction of DSM 7, Synology decided to introduce its own solution, known as Container Manager.

• Log in to the DSM interface – Open a web browser and log in to the administration panel on your Synology device, using the appropriate credentials (administrator account),
• Install Container Manager – After logging in, go to the Package Center (which is the central place to manage applications on Synology devices). Search for the Container Manager package and install it on your device.

Step 2 – Create folders

• After logging into your file server, open File Station.
• Then, in the shared folder named docker, create a new folder and name it portainer.

Step 3 – Enable SSH on the Synology

If you don’t already have SSH enabled on your Synology, follow these steps

• Go to the Control Panel, then under Connectivity, select Terminal and SNMP;

• Click Enable SSH service and set any high port such as 45000.

• Save the settings and proceed to log in via SSH to our Synology.

For Microsoft Windows operating systems, I recommend PuTTY, for its reliability and rich configuration options. On the other hand, for Apple macOS operating systems, you should definitely consider using Termius, which offers an intuitive interface and many useful features.

Step 4 – Install Portainer using SSH

• I personally use macOS, thus I will use Termius. The following action is performed on the right root,
• Log in to your Synology account over SSH.
• Type the following command to install the Portainer.