Step 4: Environment

Set up environment variables and application configuration for your container.

Quick Templates

Pre-configured environment variable templates for common frameworks:

Node.js Applications

NODE_ENV: Environment mode (development/production)
PORT: Application port
NPMCONFIGPRODUCTION: Skip dev dependencies in production

Database Configuration

DATABASE_URL 🔒: Database connection string (encrypted)
REDIS_URL 🔒: Redis connection string (encrypted)
DB_HOST: Database hostname
DB_PORT: Database port
ENCRYPTION_KEY 🔒: Data encryption key (encrypted)

Application Settings

DEBUG: Enable debug mode
LOG_LEVEL: Logging verbosity level
MAX_CONNECTIONS: Maximum concurrent connections
TIMEOUT: Request timeout (milliseconds)

Custom Environment Variables

Add application-specific configuration:

Variable Name: Use UPPERCASE with underscores
Variable Value: Enter the configuration value
Security: Sensitive values are automatically detected and encrypted

Example:

API_KEY=your-secret-api-key
MAX_WORKERS=4
CACHE_TTL=3600
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db

Bulk Import

For applications with many environment variables:

Click Show Bulk Import
Paste variables in KEY=value format
Variables are automatically parsed and added

Bulk Import Format:

API_KEY=abc123
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
MAX_WORKERS=4
LOG_LEVEL=info

Common Environment Variable Patterns

Database Connections

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@host:port/database
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
DB_NAME=myapp
DB_USER=appuser
DB_PASSWORD=securepassword

Redis Configuration

REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379/0
REDIS_HOST=localhost
REDIS_PORT=6379
REDIS_PASSWORD=redispassword

Application Settings

APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=https://myapp.com
APP_NAME="My Application"
APP_VERSION=1.0.0

API Configuration

API_KEY=your-api-key
API_SECRET=your-api-secret
API_TIMEOUT=30000
API_RATE_LIMIT=1000

Security Settings

JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret
ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-encryption-key
SSL_ENABLED=true
CORS_ORIGIN=https://frontend.com

Framework-Specific Examples

Django Applications

DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=myapp.settings.production
SECRET_KEY=django-secret-key
DEBUG=False
ALLOWED_HOSTS=myapp.com,www.myapp.com
DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@host:5432/db

Flask Applications

FLASK_ENV=production
FLASK_APP=app.py
SECRET_KEY=flask-secret-key
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db

Express.js Applications

NODE_ENV=production
PORT=3000
SESSION_SECRET=session-secret
DATABASE_URL=mongodb://user:pass@host:27017/db

Spring Boot Applications

SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE=production
SERVER_PORT=8080
SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL=jdbc:postgresql://host:5432/db
SPRING_DATASOURCE_USERNAME=user
SPRING_DATASOURCE_PASSWORD=password

Environment Variable Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use UPPERCASE: Standard convention for environment variables
Use Underscores: Separate words with underscores (DATABASE_URL)
Avoid Spaces: No spaces or special characters in variable names
Descriptive Names: Use names that clearly indicate purpose

Security Guidelines

Sensitive Data: Store passwords, API keys, and secrets securely
No Hardcoding: Never hardcode secrets in container images
Encryption: Platform automatically encrypts sensitive values
Access Control: Limit who can view/modify sensitive variables

Configuration Management

Environment Separation: Use different values per environment (dev/staging/prod)
Validation: Validate required variables at application startup
Documentation: Document the purpose and format of each variable
Defaults: Provide sensible defaults where appropriate

Common Patterns

Database URLs: Use connection strings for database configuration
Feature Flags: Use boolean values for feature toggles
Resource Limits: Configure timeouts, limits, and thresholds
External Services: Store API endpoints and credentials

Security Considerations

Sensitive Data Handling

Platform automatically detects and encrypts sensitive values
Variables containing "password", "secret", "key", "token" are encrypted
Encrypted values are not visible in logs or exports
Use descriptive names that indicate the variable's purpose

Best Practices for Secrets

Rotation: Regularly rotate sensitive credentials
Minimal Scope: Use service-specific credentials with limited permissions
Monitoring: Monitor access to sensitive configuration
Backup: Ensure secure backup of critical configuration

Troubleshooting Environment Issues

Common Problems

Missing Variables: Application fails due to undefined required variables
Incorrect Format: Variables not in expected format (URLs, JSON, etc.)
Encoding Issues: Special characters in variable values
Case Sensitivity: Mismatched variable name casing

Debugging Steps

Check application logs for environment variable errors
Verify variable names match application expectations
Validate variable values and formats
Test with minimal configuration first
Use container console to inspect environment

Next: Proceed to Step 5 to configure persistent storage and data management.

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