2025-09-19
DbGate Database Management Platform
Deployed open-source database management tool for visual SQLite administration across homelab services. Enables web-based database operations for PDF caching and N8N workflow data without CLI access.
DbGate web interface showing database connections and management options
📋 Overview
Implemented DbGate, an open-source database management platform, to provide visual administration capabilities for SQLite databases across homelab infrastructure. The solution eliminates the need for command-line database access while enabling efficient management of PDF processing cache data and N8N workflow execution records.
🎯 Challenge
Managing SQLite databases across multiple homelab services required frequent command-line access for troubleshooting, cache cleanup, and data analysis. Needed a user-friendly web interface to perform database operations on PDF translation cache and N8N workflow data without SSH access or SQL expertise for non-technical tasks.
💡 Solution
Deployed DbGate in a Docker container with strategic volume mounts to provide unified database access across services. Configured secure LAN-only access with persistent settings storage and multi-database connection management for streamlined database administration workflows.
🛠️ Technologies
DbGate Open Source Platform
Web-based database administration tool supporting multiple database types with visual query builder
Docker Containerization
Containerized deployment with volume persistence for configuration and database access
SQLite Database Integration
Direct file-based access to SQLite databases across homelab services
Network-based Security
LAN-only access model with port isolation for secure database administration
Volume Mount Strategy
Strategic volume mounting for multi-service database access and configuration persistence
✨ Key Features
🗄️ **Multi-Database Access**: Unified interface for PDF Service and N8N SQLite databases
🌐 **Web-Based Interface**: Browser-accessible database management without CLI requirements
📊 **Data Export Capabilities**: Export database contents in multiple formats (CSV, JSON, SQL)
🔐 **Secure LAN Access**: Network-isolated deployment on port 13000 for homelab security
🏗️ Technical Highlights
Multi-Service Database Access
Configured volume mounts to access SQLite databases from both PDF processing service and N8N workflows, enabling unified database administration across homelab services.
Network Security
LAN-only access on port 13000 with no external exposure, using network-level security for simplified yet secure database administration.
💻 Implementation
Docker Compose Configuration
version: "3.8"
services:
dbgate:
image: dbgate/dbgate:latest
container_name: dbgate
ports:
- "13000:3000"
environment:
- TZ=America/Monterrey
volumes:
- dbgate-data:/root/.dbgate
- /home/vmdad/newPDFimage/data:/dbfiles
- /opt/n8n_data:/n8n_db
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
dbgate-data:🚀 Deployment Specs
| Platform | Ubuntu Server 192.168.1.30 |
| Container | dbgate/dbgate:latest |
| Port | 13000:3000 |
| Network | LAN-only access |
| Volumes | 3 mounts (config, PDF data, N8N data) |
| Restart Policy | unless-stopped |
📸 Gallery
Interactive schema view showing table relationships and structure
🎓 Key Learnings
- 📚Docker volume mounting for multi-service database access
- 📚Network security for internal service access
- 📚SQLite database management across distributed services