Server setup on Windows Server 2016: we need help

#1

Could you guys point a good tutorial on how setup Rocket.Chat Server on Windows Server 2016?

We were unable to do it by using the setup guide found at official Rocket.Chat website.

Thanks!

#2

You’ll need Docker’s linux container to deploy a rocketchat server in windows server. Assuming you have a windows server 2016 with GUI installed. Make sure your server’s CPU has virtualization enabled and follow these steps-

  1. Download Docker for windows

  2. Install docker on windows server 2016. after installation, docker will prompt to enable Hyper-V. Enable and accept everything docker prompts. Make sure docker is switched to use linux container, though by default linux container gets selected. docker will prompt to reboot the server to finish Hyper-V installation. reboot the server.

  3. After reboot, you’ll see docker running at notification tray. Search ‘Allow an app through windows firewall’, select & it’ll open the allowed app window. select change settings, then select Allow another app, browse for vpnkit.exe located at C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources. add and allow vpnkit for private and public network. vpnkit enables app running on docker’s linux container in windows server, to be access from another machine resides in local network/internet.

  4. create a file named docker-compose.yml put these into that and replace ip with your server's ip in -ROOT_URL line

db:
  image: mongo:3.0
  command: mongod --smallfiles --oplogSize 128

rocketchat:
  image: rocketchat/rocket.chat:latest
  environment:
    - PORT=3000
    - ROOT_URL=http://ip:3000
    - MONGO_URL=mongodb://db:27017/rocketchat
  links:
    - db:db
  ports:
    - 3000:3000

  1. in same directory, enter command docker-compose up

  2. wait for the server to be up and running. sometimes after executing the docker-compose up command, the startup process gets stuck at db listening port. if that happens, simply terminate the current process pressing ctrl+c and run the cmd again.

All the steps except 3 are same as deploying rocketchat in win10pro. step 3 doesn’t need in win10pro as vpnkit gets added to the firewall rules automatically. but in windows server 2016, vpnkit has to be added manually.

I’ll suggest not to automate the rocketchat server startup following a windows server reboot, Because of the reason described in step 6.

Hope it helps. i deployed rocketchat server in windows server 2016. Tested it for 10 days in a test windows server, worked flawlessly in my use case scenario. Then moved it to a permanent one.

Docker’s linux container is not supported in any earlier versions of windows server, only on server 2016.

#3

Good Morning,

I have tried to follow this tutorial, but I feel I am missing a lot of information from this procedure. I am very new to using docker.

I also get an error of: ERROR: client version 1.21 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.24, please upgrade your client to a newer version

–I get this running docker-compose up

I am trying to follow this tutorial for a nested virtual environment held at Azure.

VM: Window Server 2016
Docker Desktop is install:
Docker version 19.03.5, build 2ee0c57608

I am just confused, I get errors when switching from Windows Container to Linux from the task bar…

Where do I download Mongodb? I put the docker-compose.yml file under resources, how do I start the RocketChat server.

Please help!