Install on Linux with Docker
Overview
This section covers new installations of CAST Imaging on Linux using Docker. Choose your deployment scenario and topology below to get a dedicated, step-by-step installation guide with no conditional branching.
For updates to existing installations, see In-place component update.
CAST does not support cross-platform installations, i.e. some CAST Imaging components on Linux/Docker and other components on Microsoft Windows, except where a PostgreSQL instance installed on Linux/Docker is being used with CAST Imaging installed on Microsoft Windows.
Containerization via Docker installed on WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) on a Microsoft Windows machine is not supported for production installations, however, it can be used for testing, evaluation, POCs etc. See Configuring WSL2 for CAST Imaging v3.
Step 1 - Choose your deployment scenario
A scenario defines which CAST Imaging components you install. All scenarios include imaging-services and require access to a database instance.
| Scenario | Analysis | Viewer | Dashboards | Use when… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 - All Components | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Full CAST Imaging: analysis, Viewer and Dashboards |
| S2 - Viewer Only | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | Read-only Viewer access - analysis runs on a separate installation |
| S3 - Viewer + Analysis | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Run analysis and view results; no Dashboards component |
| S4 - Dashboards Only | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Read-only Dashboards access - analysis runs on a separate installation |
| S5 - Dashboards + Analysis | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | Run analysis and view aggregated Dashboard results; no Viewer component |
Advanced topology - Neo4j on a dedicated machine
For scenarios that include the Viewer (S1, S2, S3), you can run Neo4j on its own dedicated machine, separate from the Viewer services - useful for performance isolation and to update CAST Imaging independently of Neo4j. This deployment uses a tailored non-standard installation process, described in Neo4j on a dedicated machine.
Step 2 - Choose your deployment topology
A topology defines how components are distributed across machines:
- Single machine - all selected components on one host. Suitable for POC, testing, demo, or small production environments.
- Multi-machine - components distributed across dedicated hosts (or a mixed allocation). Recommended for production.
Step 3 - Go to your guide
All selected components on one host. Suitable for POC, testing, demo, or small production environments.
Components distributed across dedicated hosts. Recommended for production.
Reference
The following pages apply across all Docker deployment scenarios:
- Installation variables - full reference for all
configuration.confvariables - Configuration examples - worked examples for distributed deployments
- Managing configuration files
- Managing environment variables
- Managing Docker Compose YAML files
- Reverse proxy configuration
- Setting up a shared folder (NFS)
- SSO service memory management
- Configuring WSL2 for CAST Imaging