Store and mount a Docker secret in a Swarm service
domain: docs.docker.com · 7 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
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Documented steps
Initialize Swarm mode first: docker swarm init
From a swarm manager node, create a secret from a file: docker secret create appsecret ./file.txt
Create a secret from the standard input stream without persisting a file: docker secret create appsecret -
List defined secrets with docker secret ls
View non-sensitive metadata about a secret with docker secret inspect appsecret
Attach the secret read-only into a service so it is mounted under /run/secrets/appsecret inside the container: docker service create --secret appsecret --name app myimage
To change a stored value, remove the secret from the service, remove the secret, create a new one, and add it back: docker service update --secret-rm appsecret app, then docker secret rm appsecret, then create and docker service update --secret-add appsecret app
Known gotchas
A secret's stored value is immutable once created - change it only by remove-and-recreate
The value is exposed inside the service container as a file at the path /run/secrets/ named after the secret, and never shown in inspect output
This is a Swarm cluster-management operation and must run on a manager node
Secret data is stored in the Swarm Raft logs on managers, so managers must be trusted hosts
Compose also offers a separate build-time secret feature that is distinct from Swarm runtime secrets
Official docs: https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/secret/create/
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