I have two QNAP NAS’s running a variety services in Docker. Container Station is QNAP’s implementation of Docker and having it installed on both machines has really expanded what I can do with these devices. Thumbs up to that, but I do have a few tips beyond Container Station that will help you run your containers more efficiently (…at least, this is what works for me).

1) Store your persistent data in a location other than Container Station’s default folder.

Ok, so this first item is more like a soft tip… You may already know Container Station creates a shared folder named “Container” when it is installed. Inside this folder is another folder with special permissions that contains all the data files for Container Station to run + any container images. Because of this, I’ve found it easier just to keep my persistent data separated from this folder (I use /share/docker/). This seems to avoid any potential permission conflicts and makes backup configuration a little easier. YMMV.

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Prerequisites:

1. Container Station: If this is not already on your device then install it from the QNAP App Store. Setup with all default options.
2. Portainer Container: If this is not already up and running see my “Three Tips” post for ideas how to create the container. Also, create the admin user if you have not already done so.

Main Setup

When you log into Portainer for the first time it will prompt you to connect to a Docker endpoint. For our purposes that endpoint will be Container Station. If Portainer is running on the same machine as Container Station choose the Local option. Otherwise, choose Remote.

Endpoint Setup

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