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laboratori-cloud/.planning/phases/03-lab-02-network-vpc/03-RESEARCH.md
Luca Sacchi Ricciardi ff89202c41 docs(03): research phase 3 domain - Lab 02 Network & VPC
2026-03-25 09:10:29 +01:00

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Phase 3: Lab 02 - Network & VPC - Research

Researched: 2026-03-25 Domain: Docker Networking, VPC Simulation, Network Isolation Confidence: HIGH

Summary

Phase 3 focuses on teaching VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) and subnet concepts through Docker bridge networks. Students will learn to create isolated networks that simulate cloud VPCs with public and private subnets, understand network segmentation, and verify isolation through connectivity testing. This lab builds on Phase 1 (Docker setup) and Phase 2 (IAM) by introducing multi-tier network architecture.

Primary recommendation: Use Docker Compose V2's custom bridge networks with explicit subnet configuration (10.0.x.0/24 pattern) to simulate VPC subnets. Avoid exposing private network ports on host interfaces (127.0.0.1 max, never 0.0.0.0) to enforce INF-02 compliance. Use standard networking tools (ping, curl, netcat) for isolation verification.

User Constraints (from CONTEXT.md)

No CONTEXT.md exists for this phase. All decisions are at Claude's discretion based on project requirements and standards.

Phase Requirements

ID Description Research Support
LAB-02 Studente può creare reti Docker bridge isolate per simulare VPC/Subnets User-defined bridge networks with custom subnets (10.0.x.0/24)
DOCT-01 Lab include Tutorial (guida passo-passo incrementale) 3-part tutorial: Create networks → Deploy containers → Verify isolation
DOCT-02 Lab include How-to Guides Guides for: Create network, List networks, Verify isolation, Cleanup
DOCT-03 Lab include Reference docker-compose.yml network syntax, Network inspection, IP mapping
DOCT-04 Lab include Explanation (parallelismo Docker ↔ cloud) Bridge networks → VPC/Subnets, DNS resolution, Security groups
DOCT-05 Tutorial segue principio "little often" Incremental steps with verification after each operation
TEST-01 Script di test bash pre-implementazione (TDI) Tests for: Network creation, Isolation verification, DNS resolution
TEST-05 Comando di verifica finale ("double check") Final verification: All isolation tests pass, INF-02 compliant
INF-02 Reti private non espongono porte sull'host (127.0.0.1 max, mai 0.0.0.0) Port publishing restrictions verification test
PARA-01 Componente Docker mappato a servizio cloud (VPC/Subnets) Bridge networks → VPC, Custom subnets → Subnet CIDRs
PARA-02 Architettura locale usa nomenclatura cloud (VPC, subnet, security groups) Network naming: vpc-main, subnet-public, subnet-private
PARA-03 Differenze tra locale e cloud documentate Local limitations: Single host, No real AZs, No internet gateway
PARA-04 Comandi Docker equivalenti a comandi cloud mostrati docker network create ↔ aws ec2 create-vpc

Standard Stack

Core

Library/Tool Version Purpose Why Standard
Docker Engine >= 24.0 Container runtime, bridge networking Project-wide standard, native network isolation
Docker Compose V2 Multi-container networking definition Project-wide standard, custom network syntax
Bridge driver (builtin) User-defined isolated networks Default Docker network driver, production-grade isolation
iproute2 (system) Network debugging (ip, ip addr) Standard Linux networking tools
netcat-openbsd (system) Port connectivity testing (nc) Project-wide standard for network testing

Supporting

Library/Tool Version Purpose When to Use
iputils-ping (system) ICMP connectivity testing (ping) For testing network isolation between containers
curl (system) HTTP/HTTPS connectivity testing For testing service reachability across networks
nmap (system) Advanced port scanning (optional) For detailed network analysis in troubleshooting

Alternatives Considered

Instead of Could Use Tradeoff
Bridge networks Overlay networks Overlay requires Swarm mode, overkill for single-host labs
Bridge networks Macvlan networks Macvlan gives containers direct network access, breaks isolation model
netcat telnet Netcat is more versatile, telnet is legacy
ping traceroute Ping tests basic connectivity, traceroute shows path (not needed for local)

Installation:

# Core utilities (typically pre-installed with Docker)
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin

# Network testing tools
sudo apt-get install -y iproute2 netcat-openbsd iputils-ping curl

# Optional: Advanced network analysis
sudo apt-get install -y nmap

Architecture Patterns

Recommended Project Structure

labs/lab-02-network/
├── tutorial/
│   ├── 01-create-networks.md
│   ├── 02-deploy-containers.md
│   └── 03-verify-isolation.md
├── how-to-guides/
│   ├── create-custom-network.md
│   ├── inspect-network-configuration.md
│   ├── test-network-isolation.md
│   └── cleanup-networks.md
├── reference/
│   ├── docker-network-commands.md
│   ├── compose-network-syntax.md
│   └── vpc-network-mapping.md
├── explanation/
│   └── docker-network-vpc-parallels.md
├── tests/
│   ├── 01-network-creation-test.sh
│   ├── 02-isolation-verification-test.sh
│   └── 99-final-verification.sh
├── docker-compose.yml
└── ARCHITECTURE.md

Pattern 1: VPC Simulation with Custom Bridge Networks

What: Create isolated networks that simulate VPC and subnets using explicit CIDR blocks When to use: All multi-tier applications requiring network segmentation Example:

# Source: Docker Compose networking documentation
# https://docs.docker.com/compose/networking/

networks:
  # Simulates VPC with public subnet
  vpc-public:
    driver: bridge
    name: lab02-vpc-public
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.1.0/24
          gateway: 10.0.1.1

  # Simulates VPC with private subnet
  vpc-private:
    driver: bridge
    name: lab02-vpc-private
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.2.0/24
          gateway: 10.0.2.1
    internal: true  # Blocks external internet access

services:
  # Web server in public subnet
  web:
    image: nginx:alpine
    networks:
      - vpc-public
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:8080:80"  # INF-02: Only expose on localhost, NOT 0.0.0.0

  # Database in private subnet
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    networks:
      - vpc-private
    # No ports exposed - private network only

Pattern 2: Network Isolation Verification

What: Test that containers on different networks cannot communicate When to use: TDD RED phase, verification of INF-02 compliance Example:

# Source: Docker bridge network documentation
# https://docs.docker.com/engine/network/drivers/bridge/

#!/bin/bash
# Test 1: Containers in same network can communicate
docker run -d --name container1 --network vpc-public alpine sleep 3600
docker run -d --name container2 --network vpc-public alpine sleep 3600

docker exec container1 ping -c 2 container2
# Expected: SUCCESS (containers in same network can communicate)

# Test 2: Containers in different networks are isolated
docker run -d --name container3 --network vpc-private alpine sleep 3600

docker exec container1 ping -c 2 container3
# Expected: FAILURE (different networks are isolated)

# Test 3: Private network not accessible from host
docker exec container3 wget -O- http://container2
# Expected: FAILURE (private network isolation)

Pattern 3: VPC Nomenclature Mapping

What: Use cloud-style naming for local networks to teach parallelism When to use: All network definitions in docker-compose.yml Example:

# Cloud-style naming for local networks
networks:
  # Naming convention: <env>-<tier>-<type>
  lab-vpc:          # Simulates VPC
    driver: bridge
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.0.0/16  # VPC CIDR block

  public-subnet-1a:  # Subnet name includes AZ simulation
    driver: bridge
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.1.0/24  # Public subnet CIDR

  private-subnet-1a:
    driver: bridge
    internal: true           # No internet gateway (private subnet)
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.2.0/24  # Private subnet CIDR

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • Using default bridge network: No DNS resolution, poor isolation, not production-grade
  • Exposing private ports on 0.0.0.0: Violates INF-02, allows external access to private services
  • Mixing public/private services in same network: Breaks isolation model, defeats learning objective
  • Using --link flag: Legacy feature, user-defined networks provide automatic DNS
  • Skipping network tests: TDD approach requires RED→GREEN→REFACTOR for network setup

Don't Hand-Roll

Problem Don't Build Use Instead Why
Network isolation Custom iptables rules Docker bridge networks Built-in isolation, battle-tested, easier to debug
DNS resolution Custom /etc/hosts management Docker embedded DNS Automatic service discovery, no manual updates
IP allocation Custom IP assignment scripts Docker IPAM Prevents conflicts, handles subnet calculations
Network testing Custom ping wrappers Standard tools: ping, curl, nc Students already know these tools, portable

Key insight: Docker's networking primitives are sufficient for VPC simulation. Building custom network layers teaches the wrong lesson about using platform-provided isolation.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Default Bridge Network Limitations

What goes wrong: Students use default bridge, find containers can't resolve each other by name Why it happens: Default bridge doesn't have embedded DNS; requires --link (legacy) or IP addresses How to avoid: Always create custom networks with docker network create or networks: in Compose Warning signs: Using IP addresses to connect containers, "name resolution failed" errors

Pitfall 2: Publishing Private Network Ports on 0.0.0.0

What goes wrong: ports: ["8080:80"] publishes on all interfaces, violating INF-02 Why it happens: Default port binding is 0.0.0.0 (all interfaces) if not specified How to avoid: Always use explicit binding: ports: ["127.0.0.1:8080:80"] for private services Warning signs: Services accessible from outside host, netstat -tlnp shows 0.0.0.0:8080

Pitfall 3: Not Verifying Isolation Before Deployment

What goes wrong: Containers deployed, then discovered they can communicate across networks Why it happens: Network isolation not tested in RED phase, only verified after setup How to avoid: Write isolation tests FIRST (RED), then deploy containers (GREEN) Warning signs: No test files in labs/lab-02-network/tests/ before writing docker-compose.yml

Pitfall 4: Confusion Between Container and Host Networking

What goes wrong: Students think localhost inside container reaches host services Why it happens: 127.0.0.1 inside container refers to container, not host How to avoid: Teach that host.docker.internal (Docker Desktop) or host gateway IP bridges the gap Warning signs: "Connection refused" when container tries to connect to localhost services

Pitfall 5: Network Cleanup Between Tests

What goes wrong: Previous test networks interfere with new tests Why it happens: Networks not removed between test runs, container references stale How to avoid: Always run docker-compose down -v to remove networks, include cleanup in tests Warning signs: "Network already exists" errors, IP conflicts in subnet allocation

Code Examples

Verified patterns from official sources:

Creating Custom Networks with Subnets

# Source: Docker Compose networking specification
# https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/07-networking/

version: "3.8"

networks:
  frontend:
    driver: bridge
    name: lab02-frontend
    ipam:
      driver: default
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.1.0/24
          ip_range: 10.0.1.128/25

  backend:
    driver: bridge
    name: lab02-backend
    internal: true  # Isolated from external networks
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.0.2.0/24

services:
  web:
    image: nginx:alpine
    networks:
      - frontend
    ports:
      # INF-02: Only bind to localhost, NOT 0.0.0.0
      - "127.0.0.1:8080:80"

  api:
    image: api:latest
    networks:
      - frontend
      - backend
    # No ports exposed - internal communication only

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    networks:
      - backend
    # No ports exposed - private network only

Testing Network Isolation

# Source: Docker bridge network documentation
# https://docs.docker.com/engine/network/drivers/bridge/

#!/bin/bash
# Network isolation test for Lab 02

set -euo pipefail

# Create two isolated networks
docker network create --driver bridge --subnet 10.0.1.0/24 net1
docker network create --driver bridge --subnet 10.0.2.0/24 net2

# Deploy containers in different networks
docker run -d --name container1 --network net1 alpine sleep 3600
docker run -d --name container2 --network net2 alpine sleep 3600

# Test 1: Isolation between networks
echo "Testing isolation between net1 and net2..."
if docker exec container1 ping -c 2 -W 1 container2 2>/dev/null; then
    echo "FAIL: Containers in different networks can communicate (isolation broken)"
    exit 1
else
    echo "PASS: Containers in different networks are isolated"
fi

# Test 2: Same network communication
docker run -d --name container3 --network net1 alpine sleep 3600
echo "Testing communication within same network..."
if docker exec container1 ping -c 2 -W 1 container3 2>/dev/null; then
    echo "PASS: Containers in same network can communicate"
else
    echo "FAIL: Containers in same network cannot communicate"
    exit 1
fi

# Cleanup
docker rm -f container1 container2 container3
docker network rm net1 net2
echo "All isolation tests passed!"

Verifying INF-02 Compliance

# Source: INF-02 requirement from REQUIREMENTS.md
# Verify private networks don't expose ports on host

#!/bin/bash

echo "Checking INF-02 compliance: Private networks don't expose ports..."

# Check docker-compose.yml for port bindings
compose_file="labs/lab-02-network/docker-compose.yml"

# Extract all port mappings
port_mappings=$(grep -A 20 "ports:" "$compose_file" | grep -E '^\s*-\s*[0-9]+' || true)

# Check for 0.0.0.0 bindings (violation)
if echo "$port_mappings" | grep -qE '0\.0\.0\.0:[0-9]+'; then
    echo "FAIL: Found ports exposed on 0.0.0.0 (INF-02 violation)"
    echo "$port_mappings"
    exit 1
fi

# Verify all private services use 127.0.0.1 binding
if echo "$port_mappings" | grep -qE '127\.0\.0\.1:[0-9]+'; then
    echo "PASS: Private services correctly bound to 127.0.0.1"
else
    echo "WARNING: No port bindings found or all public"
fi

# Verify with docker-compose config
docker-compose -f "$compose_file" config 2>/dev/null || true

echo "INF-02 verification complete"

Network Inspection and Debugging

# Source: Docker CLI best practices for network debugging

# List all networks
docker network ls

# Inspect network configuration (shows subnet, gateway, connected containers)
docker network inspect lab02-vpc-public

# View network details from container perspective
docker exec <container> ip addr show
docker exec <container> ip route show

# Test DNS resolution within network
docker exec <container> nslookup <other_container_name>

# Test connectivity
docker exec <container> ping -c 2 <other_container_name>
docker exec <container> nc -zv <other_container_name> 80

# Check bridge interface on host
ip addr show br-<network_id>

State of the Art

Old Approach Current Approach When Changed Impact
Default bridge network User-defined bridge networks Docker 1.10+ Automatic DNS, better isolation, production-grade
--link for service discovery Embedded DNS server Docker 1.12+ No manual links, name-based resolution by default
Port mapping required for all communication Network-scoped communication Docker 1.10+ Containers communicate without port publishing
Manual IP allocation IPAM (IP Address Management) Docker 1.10+ Automatic subnet allocation, conflict prevention

Deprecated/outdated:

  • --link flag: Legacy container linking, superseded by user-defined networks with DNS
  • Default bridge for production: Documentation explicitly recommends user-defined bridges
  • Ambiguous port binding: Always specify host binding (127.0.0.1 vs 0.0.0.0) for security

Validation Architecture

This section defines validation/testing approach for Phase 3 based on TDD methodology and project requirements.

Test Framework

Property Value
Framework BASH (Bourne Again Shell) >= 4.0
Config file None — inline test functions
Quick run command bash labs/lab-02-network/tests/quick-test.sh
Full suite command bash labs/lab-02-network/tests/run-all-tests.sh

Phase Requirements → Test Map

Req ID Behavior Test Type Automated Command File Exists?
LAB-02 Studente può creare reti Docker bridge isolate per simulare VPC/Subnets integration bash tests/01-network-creation-test.sh Wave 0
DOCT-01 Lab include Tutorial (guida passo-passo) manual Verify: tutorial/01-create-networks.md Wave 0
DOCT-02 Lab include How-to Guides manual Verify: how-to-guides/*.md exist Wave 0
DOCT-03 Lab include Reference manual Verify: reference/vpc-network-mapping.md Wave 0
DOCT-04 Lab include Explanation (parallelismo Docker ↔ cloud) manual Verify: explanation/docker-network-vpc-parallels.md Wave 0
DOCT-05 Tutorial segue principio "little often" manual Review tutorial for incremental steps Wave 0
TEST-01 Script di test bash pre-implementazione (TDI) unit bash tests/02-isolation-verification-test.sh Wave 0
TEST-05 Comando di verifica finale ("double check") integration bash tests/99-final-verification.sh Wave 0
INF-02 Reti private non espongono porte sull'host unit bash tests/inf-02-compliance-test.sh Wave 0
PARA-01 Componente Docker mappato a servizio cloud (VPC/Subnets) manual Verify Explanation includes network mapping Wave 0
PARA-02 Architettura locale usa nomenclatura cloud manual Verify docker-compose.yml uses VPC naming Wave 0
PARA-03 Differenze tra locale e cloud documentate manual Verify Explanation includes differences Wave 0
PARA-04 Comandi Docker equivalenti mostrati manual Verify Reference includes command comparison Wave 0

Sampling Rate

  • Per task commit: bash labs/lab-02-network/tests/quick-test.sh (runs in < 30 seconds)
  • Per wave merge: bash labs/lab-02-network/tests/run-all-tests.sh (full validation)
  • Phase gate: Full suite green + manual verification of all 4 Diátaxis documents + INF-02 verified

Wave 0 Gaps

  • labs/lab-02-network/tests/01-network-creation-test.sh — tests custom network creation with subnets
  • labs/lab-02-network/tests/02-isolation-verification-test.sh — verifies isolation between networks
  • labs/lab-02-network/tests/inf-02-compliance-test.sh — verifies private networks don't expose ports
  • labs/lab-02-network/tests/99-final-verification.sh — double check command for students
  • labs/lab-02-network/tutorial/01-create-networks.md — first Diátaxis tutorial
  • labs/lab-02-network/how-to-guides/ — directory for goal-oriented guides
  • labs/lab-02-network/reference/ — directory for technical specifications
  • labs/lab-02-network/explanation/docker-network-vpc-parallels.md — VPC parallelism explanation
  • Test harness setup: None needed — using pure BASH with networking tools

Integration with Phase 2 (IAM Lab)

Phase 2 Integration Points:

  • Non-root containers from Lab 1 should be used in Lab 2 networks
  • Docker socket access from Lab 1 enables network management in Lab 2
  • Test infrastructure patterns from Lab 1 (RED→GREEN→REFACTOR) apply to Lab 2

Requiring Phase 2:

  • Student must have Docker access configured (Lab 1 success)
  • Student must understand container execution (Lab 1 concept)

Building on Phase 2:

  • Lab 2 introduces complexity: multiple containers + networks (vs single container in Lab 1)
  • Lab 2 requires verification of network isolation (new testing concept)
  • Lab 2 introduces infrastructure as code (docker-compose.yml for networks)

Success Criteria Validation

Success Criteria 1: Studente può creare reti Docker bridge isolate per simulare VPC e Subnets

  • How to verify: Student creates docker-compose.yml with custom networks, verifies with docker network ls
  • Test command: bash tests/01-network-creation-test.sh
  • Manual check: docker network inspect lab02-vpc-public shows custom subnet

Success Criteria 2: Reti private non espongono porte sull'host (max 127.0.0.1, mai 0.0.0.0)

  • How to verify: Test checks docker-compose.yml for 0.0.0.0 bindings, verifies only 127.0.0.1 used
  • Test command: bash tests/inf-02-compliance-test.sh
  • Manual check: netstat -tlnp shows no 0.0.0.0 bindings for private services

Success Criteria 3: Studente comprende il parallelismo tra Docker Bridge Networks e VPC cloud

  • How to verify: Explanation document maps bridge networks → VPC, subnets → Subnets
  • Manual check: Review explanation/docker-network-vpc-parallels.md
  • Test command: None — conceptual understanding verified through documentation

Success Criteria 4: Studente può verificare isolamento tra reti con test di connettività

  • How to verify: Student runs ping/curl/netcat between containers, observes failures across networks
  • Test command: bash tests/02-isolation-verification-test.sh
  • Manual check: Student demonstrates docker exec container1 ping container2 fails across networks

Success Criteria 5: Lab include Documentazione Diátaxis completa con nomenclatura cloud

  • How to verify: All 4 document types present, use VPC/subnet terminology consistently
  • Manual check: File structure + content review for cloud terminology
  • Test command: find labs/lab-02-network -name "*.md" | grep -E "(tutorial|how-to|reference|explanation)"

Open Questions

  1. Should we simulate multiple Availability Zones?

    • What we know: AWS uses AZs for high availability, but Docker is single-host
    • What's unclear: Would creating multiple "subnet-1a", "subnet-1b" networks be misleading?
    • Recommendation: Include AZ naming convention for terminology learning, but document limitation (single host = no real AZ isolation)

  2. How to handle DNS resolution testing in automated tests?

    • What we know: User-defined networks provide automatic DNS, default bridge doesn't
    • What's unclear: Best way to test DNS in isolation verification?
    • Recommendation: Use docker exec container ping -c 1 other_container which tests both DNS and connectivity

  3. Should we implement NAT Gateway simulation?

    • What we know: AWS VPCs use NAT gateways for private subnet internet access
    • What's unclear: Can Docker networks simulate NAT behavior without iptables complexity?
    • Recommendation: Document as difference between local and cloud, don't implement (adds complexity without learning value)

  4. What subnet CIDR pattern should we standardize on?

    • What we know: AWS uses 10.0.0.0/16 for VPC, 10.0.X.0/24 for subnets
    • What's unclear: Should we match this exactly or use different ranges to avoid conflicts?
    • Recommendation: Use 10.0.X.0/24 pattern matching AWS, document in ARCHITECTURE.md for future labs

Sources

Primary (HIGH confidence)

Secondary (MEDIUM confidence)

Tertiary (LOW confidence)

  • None - all findings verified with official Docker and AWS documentation

Metadata

Confidence breakdown:

  • Standard stack: HIGH - Docker networking is project-wide standard, tools are well-documented
  • Architecture: HIGH - Based on official Docker bridge network documentation and AWS VPC concepts
  • Pitfalls: HIGH - Common networking issues verified through Docker documentation and best practices
  • Validation: HIGH - TDD approach proven in Phase 2, testing patterns established

Research date: 2026-03-25 Valid until: 2026-04-24 (30 days - Docker networking model is stable, AWS VPC concepts are mature)

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