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Version: 2026 R2

Docker Configuration

Docker is the recommended way to run AI Proxy Self-hosted. Using the prebuilt container image removes the complexity of installing .NET, managing dependencies, and configuring the runtime environment. Containerization also ensures consistent behavior across different environments — from a local machine running Docker Desktop, through production servers, to orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes or Azure Container Instances.

This guide provides ready-to-use docker-compose configurations for three main scenarios: a basic deployment with a PEM certificate, a configuration with a password-protected PFX certificate, and a more advanced deployment with Azure Application Insights integration for monitoring. Each configuration includes a description of the relevant parameters and startup instructions.

If you are deploying AI Proxy for the first time, we recommend starting with Variant 1, which uses a PEM certificate. It is the simplest option and works across all supported platforms.

Requirements​

  • Docker Desktop or Docker Engine
  • an SSL/TLS certificate in PEM or PFX format
  • an aiconfiguration.json file
SSL Certificate

For production environments, use a certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority. For development environments, a self-signed certificate can be used. Example commands for generating one are provided at the end of this page.

Docker Compose Configurations​

The following sections describe three configuration variants for different deployment scenarios.

Variant 1: PEM Certificate (docker-compose-basic-pem.yml)​

This is the basic configuration for certificates in PEM format, such as certificates issued by Let’s Encrypt or generated with OpenSSL.

name: aiproxy_containers
services:
  ai-proxy:
    image: webconbps/aiproxy:1.0.0.235
    container_name: ai-proxy
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5298:8080"
      - "7033:8081"
    environment:
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production
      - AppConfiguration__SelfHosted__Certificate__Path=/app/https/certificate.pem
      - Logging__LogLevel__Default=Information
      - Logging__LogLevel__Microsoft=Warning
    volumes:
      - ./certificates/certificate.pem:/app/https/certificate.pem:ro
      - ./aiconfiguration.json:/app/aiconfiguration.json:ro

Variant 2: PFX Certificate (docker-compose-basic-pfx.yml)​

This configuration is intended for password-protected certificates in PFX format. This format is commonly used in Windows environments.

name: aiproxy_containers
services:
  ai-proxy:
    image: webconbps/aiproxy:1.0.0.235
    container_name: ai-proxy
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5298:8080"
      - "7033:8081"
    environment:
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production
      - AppConfiguration__SelfHosted__Certificate__Path=/app/https/certificate.pfx
      - AppConfiguration__SelfHosted__Certificate__Password=<hasło>
      - Logging__LogLevel__Default=Information
      - Logging__LogLevel__Microsoft=Warning
    volumes:
      - ./certificates/certificate.pfx:/app/https/certificate.pfx:ro
      - ./aiconfiguration.json:/app/aiconfiguration.json:ro
Password security

Replace <password> with the actual password for the PFX certificate. In production environments, consider using mechanisms such as Docker secrets instead of storing the password directly in the configuration file.

Variant 3: Application Insights (docker-compose-applicationinsights.yml)​

This configuration extends the deployment with Azure Application Insights integration, enabling performance monitoring, log collection, and overall application diagnostics.

name: aiproxy_containers
services:
  ai-proxy:
    image: webconbps/aiproxy:1.0.0.235
    container_name: ai-proxy
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5298:8080"
      - "7033:8081"
    environment:
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production
      - AppConfiguration__SelfHosted__Certificate__Path=/app/https/certificate.pem
      - 'AppConfiguration__ApplicationInsightsConnectionString=<connection-string>'
      - Logging__LogLevel__Default=Information
      - Logging__LogLevel__Microsoft=Warning
      - Serilog__Using__0=Serilog.Sinks.Console
      - Serilog__Using__1=Serilog.Sinks.ApplicationInsights
      - Serilog__WriteTo__0__Name=Console
      - Serilog__WriteTo__1__Name=ApplicationInsights
      - 'Serilog__WriteTo__1__Args__connectionString=<connection-string>'
      - Serilog__WriteTo__1__Args__telemetryConverter=Serilog.Sinks.ApplicationInsights.TelemetryConverters.TraceTelemetryConverter, Serilog.Sinks.ApplicationInsights
    volumes:
      - ./certificates/certificate.pem:/app/https/certificate.pem:ro
      - ./aiconfiguration.json:/app/aiconfiguration.json:ro
Connection String from Azure

Replace <connection-string> with the actual connection string from Azure Portal, in the Application Insights > Properties section.

How to run AI Proxy - step by step​

1. Prepare the files​

Create a certificates directory and place your certificate file in it:

mkdir certificates
# Copy your certificate to ./certificates/certificate.pem (or .pfx)

Make sure the aiconfiguration.json file is located in the same directory as the docker-compose file.

2. Container startup​

docker-compose up -d

3. Check the status​

# Check if the container is running
docker-compose ps

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f ai-proxy

4. Shutdown​

docker-compose down

Generating test certificates​

For development environments, you can generate a self-signed certificate.

PEM Certificate (OpenSSL)​

# Generate certificate
openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout key.pem -out cert.pem -days 365 -nodes

# Combine into one file
cat key.pem cert.pem > certificate.pem

# Move to certificates directory
mv certificate.pem ./certificates/

PFX Certificate (PowerShell)​

# Generate certificate
$cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "localhost" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\CurrentUser\My" -NotAfter (Get-Date).AddYears(1)

# Export to PFX
$password = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "YourPassword123" -Force -AsPlainText
Export-PfxCertificate -Cert $cert -FilePath ".\certificates\certificate.pfx" -Password $password

Troubleshooting​

Container does not start​

# Check logs
docker-compose logs ai-proxy

# Check status
docker ps -a

Possible causes:

  • the certificate file is missing from the ./certificates/ directory,
  • the aiconfiguration.json file is invalid,
  • ports 5298 or 7033 are already in use.

Ports occupied​

If the required ports are already in use, change them in the docker-compose.yml file:

ports:
  - "5299:8080"  # Change first port
  - "7034:8081"  # Change first port

Then check which process is using the port:

netstat -ano | findstr :7033

Certificate problems​

# Check if certificate is valid
openssl x509 -in ./certificates/certificate.pem -text -noout

# Check if container sees the file
docker exec ai-proxy ls -l /app/https/