cmf-server

name	cmf-server
description	Use when deploying the CMF Server locally with Docker Compose, or connecting to an existing shared CMF Server. Covers creating the .env file, starting the container stack, verifying the web UI, and pointing cmflib clients at the server. If a server is already running and credentials are available, skip to the connection section.
version	1.0.0

First check: is a CMF Server already running? If yes, skip to Connecting to an existing server.

Local deployment

Prerequisites

• Docker Engine + Docker Compose plugin
• Host IP or hostname (for REACT_APP_CMF_API_URL)
• Ports 80 and 443 free (configurable)

Step 1 — Clone CMF

git clone https://github.com/HewlettPackard/cmf
cd cmf

Step 2 — Create .env

CMF_DATA_DIR=./data
NGINX_HTTP_PORT=80
NGINX_HTTPS_PORT=443
REACT_APP_CMF_API_URL=http://<your-server-ip>:80

POSTGRES_USER=myuser
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mypassword    # change in production
POSTGRES_DB=mlmd
POSTGRES_HOST=postgres
POSTGRES_PORT=5432

MCP_EXTERNAL_PORT=8382

See references/env-variables.md for full variable descriptions and common customizations.

Step 3 — Start

docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml up -d
docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml ps   # all services should be healthy within ~60s

Services started: postgres, server (CMF API), ui (React), tensorboard, nginx, mcp.

Step 4 — Verify

curl http://<your-server-ip>:80/apiv1.0/pipelines
# {"pipelines": []}

Open http://<your-server-ip>:80 in a browser — CMF web UI should load.

Step 5 — Point clients at the server

On each client machine:

cmf init local \
  --path /path/to/artifact-storage \
  --git-remote-url https://github.com/your-org/your-repo.git \
  --cmf-server-url http://<your-server-ip>:80

---

Connecting to an existing CMF Server

cmf init local \
  --path /path/to/artifact-storage \
  --git-remote-url https://github.com/your-org/your-repo.git \
  --cmf-server-url http://<server-url>:<port>

cmf init show                       # verify the URL is set
cmf metadata pull -p my_pipeline    # confirm access

The CMF Server uses network-level access control (no built-in username/password by default). If your deployment has an auth proxy, ask the administrator for credentials.

---

Manage the server

docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml stop    # stop (data preserved)
docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml start   # restart
docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml down    # remove containers (data preserved in CMF_DATA_DIR)

# Destructive — backup CMF_DATA_DIR first!
docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml down -v && rm -rf ./data

Upgrade

git pull
docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml build --no-cache
docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml up -d

Troubleshooting

• REACT_APP_CMF_API_URL not set — required; set to the host's IP/hostname
• Port 80 in use — change NGINX_HTTP_PORT and update REACT_APP_CMF_API_URL to match
• postgres not healthy — check docker compose -f docker-compose-server.yml logs postgres; usually a CMF_DATA_DIR permissions issue
• UI loads but API calls fail — use the host IP, not localhost, in REACT_APP_CMF_API_URL; must be reachable from the browser
• MCP server not reachable — check MCP_EXTERNAL_PORT in .env and confirm it is not blocked by a firewall; test with curl http://<server-ip>:<MCP_EXTERNAL_PORT>/health
• Clients cannot push metadata — confirm cmf init show shows the correct server URL; verify with curl http://<server-ip>:80/apiv1.0/pipelines

---

Docs: Installation Guide · CMF Client Guide · Web UI Reference