Скачать или смотреть How to Enable VM Communication, Internet Access, and Containerized Services in VirtualBox

Learn how to configure your VirtualBox VMs for seamless communication, internet access, and access to containerized services using Docker Compose.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63017932/ asked by the user 'Dalton Cézane' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1930814/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63040482/ provided by the user 'Dalton Cézane' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1930814/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: VirtualBox - connection between VMs, host and Internet, and access to containerized services running inside a VM

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Enable VM Communication, Internet Access, and Containerized Services in VirtualBox

Setting up multiple Virtual Machines (VMs) in VirtualBox can be quite a challenge, especially when it comes to ensuring they can communicate efficiently, access the internet, and interact with services running within them. If you're facing an issue similar to needing the VMs to talk to each other, access the internet, and connect to containerized applications, you’re in the right place. This blog will walk you through the optimal configuration step-by-step, so you’ll have everything running smoothly in no time.

Understanding Your Configuration Needs

In your VirtualBox setup, you have:

Three VMs, each running different operating systems.

Two network adapters per VM:

NAT with DHCP for internet access.

Host-only with a static IP for communication between the VMs.

The goal here is to allow not just communication amongst these VMs but also to enable access to services running within one of the VMs using Docker Compose.

The Initial Setup

From the information provided, here's what your setup looks like:

Adapter 1: NAT (providing internet access)

Adapter 2: Host-only (enabling inter-VM communication)

While this setup provides a good foundation, the challenge lies in accessing services deployed via Docker inside one of the VMs.

Identifying the Problem

After some trial and error, you may realize that the Docker services are not accessible as expected. This issue often arises when the Docker Compose configuration restricts access.

The important point here is that your ports can be configured in a way that limits them to the localhost only. For example:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The above line essentially says, "only allow access to this port from the localhost." This is likely the root cause behind the access issues you are encountering.

The Solution

To resolve the access problem, you’ll need to adjust your Docker Compose file for the services to allow access from the network interfaces, not just localhost. Here’s the change you need to make:

Step-by-Step Adjustment

Modify your Docker Compose file:
Change the port configuration from:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

to

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Test the Configuration:
After saving the changes to your Docker Compose file, restart your Docker containers.

Verify Access:
Now, you should be able to access the services running inside the VM from the host machine, using the static IP configured for the host-only adapter.

Alternative Network Configuration

In addition to the above solution, consider using a bridged network configuration, which allows your VMs to appear as if they are separate devices on the network. This might provide an even better setup for service access, as it places the VM directly on the network:

Set Adapter 2 to type Bridged Adapter.

Ensure that the static IPs set for the VMs do not conflict with your existing network.

Conclusion

By modifying your Docker Compose configuration and, if needed, considering alternative networking options, you can successfully manage communication among your VMs and enable access to external services with ease. Whether you stick with the NAT and host-only setup or switch to bridged networking, you now have the tools to create a smoothly operating system of interconnected services.

If you follow these steps, you can bid farewell to connection woes and enjoy seamless operation of your containerized applications within your VirtualBox environment.



Happy Virtualizing!