⚡️ Feature: Pre/Post Deployment Script Support (with Git-backed Scripts) for Containers, Projects, and Swarm

[freedbygrace]

Feature Description

Introduce support for pre-deployment and post-deployment scripts/commands that can be attached to containers, stacks/projects, and Docker Swarm services within Arcane.

These scripts should:

• Be defined as reusable script objects

• Support variables and secrets injection

• Allow ordered execution

• Be enabled/disabled without removal either globally or per container, service, stack, deployment

• Support both:

  • Inline/local scripts
  • Git-backed scripts from a configured repository (branch/tag/path selectable)

This enables Arcane to orchestrate not just deployments, but the full lifecycle preparation and post-processing required for successful service operation.

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Problem It Solves

Deployments—especially in Docker Swarm—often require additional steps outside of standard compose definitions, such as:

• Creating destination directories (Swarm does not behave like standalone Compose)
• Setting permissions
• Running initialization or migration tasks
• Executing post-deployment validation or registration steps

Today, these steps must be handled:

• Manually
• Via external tooling (Ansible, scripts, CI/CD pipelines)
• Or embedded awkwardly into container entrypoints

This leads to:

• Inconsistent deployments
• Operational overhead
• Fragile, non-repeatable workflows
• Tight coupling between app containers and infrastructure logic

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Proposed Solution

• Define Script Objects:

  • Name, description
  • Execution type (pre/post)
  • Inline script or Git reference
  • Environment variables + secrets
  • Timeout / retry options (optional)

• Attach scripts to:

  • Containers
  • Projects/Stacks
  • Swarm services

• Execution Features:

  • Ordered execution (1..N)
  • Toggle enable/disable per script
  • Execution context (host vs container scope—future enhancement)
  • Logging/output capture (future enhancement)

Git-backed Scripts

• Configure one or more Git repositories in Arcane

• Reference scripts via:

  • Repo
  • Branch/tag/commit
  • File path

• Optionally support:

  • Pull/update on deployment
  • Version pinning for deterministic behavior

This allows teams to:

• Centralize operational logic
• Version control scripts
• Reuse across multiple deployments

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Alternatives Considered

• Init containers / sidecars
  Not available in Docker Swarm and adds complexity even where supported.

• Embedding logic in container entrypoints
  Couples infrastructure concerns with application code and reduces portability.

• External orchestration tools (Ansible, CI/CD pipelines)
  Adds additional systems to manage and breaks the “single pane of glass” Arcane provides.

• Manual pre/post steps
  Error-prone and not scalable.

• Komodo-style implementations
  Similar conceptually, but Arcane can provide a more integrated and flexible model tailored to its architecture.

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Additional Context

• This feature helps normalize behavior differences between Docker Compose and Swarm

• Aligns with Arcane’s goal of simplifying and centralizing container lifecycle management

• Opens the door for future enhancements:

  • Script result tracking and logs
  • Conditional execution (based on environment, success/failure, etc.)
  • Integration with event systems (e.g., pub/sub like NATS)
  • Policy-driven deployments

Overall, this would significantly reduce deployment friction while increasing reliability, repeatability, and operational clarity.

Would you be willing to work on this feature?

• Yes, I'd like to implement this feature
• I could help with parts of this feature
• No, I'm just suggesting the feature