Particle Blueprint: Multi-Container Communication with Redis

Introduction

Welcome to the Multi-Container Communication Blueprint App for Particle devices! This project demonstrates how to use Redis as an event queue to enable communication between services inside Docker containers.

In this example, a Python producer sends messages to a Redis queue, and a Node.js consumer listens for and processes those messages. This is a great starting point for building event-driven applications on Linux-based devices like Tachyon.

Use this blueprint to learn how to manage multi-container applications and inter-service communication! 🚀

---

Project Structure

This repository supports Linux-based devices and runs multiple containers to handle event-driven messaging.

/particle-container-comms
│── redis.conf         =# Redis configuration (optional)
│── /python_app/       # Python app that sends messages to Redis
│    ├── app.py
│    ├── requirements.txt
│    ├── Dockerfile
│── /node_app/         # Node.js app that listens for Redis messages
│    ├── app.js
│    ├── package.json
│    ├── Dockerfile
│── docker-compose.yml      # Defines and runs all containers
/README.md               # This file!
/blueprint.yaml        #Blueprint file!

---

How It Works

This app runs three containers:

1. Redis – Stores messages in a queue (queue:messages).
2. Python Producer – Sends messages to Redis (RPUSH).
3. Node.js Consumer – Listens for messages (BLPOP) and processes them.

This approach is event-driven, meaning messages are handled in real time.

---

Getting Started: Linux Devices (Tachyon & Raspberry Pi)

1. Set Up Your Particle Linux Device

Ensure your Tachyon or other supported Linux device is connected and running.

2. Clone & Set Up the Project

git clone https://github.com/particle-iot/blueprint-container-comms.git
cd particle-container-comms

3. Build & Run the Containers

particle app push

This will start Redis, the Python producer, and the Node.js consumer inside containers.

4. See It in Action

Check the logs to see the communication happening:

docker-compose logs -f

You should see Python sending messages and Node.js receiving them.

---

Contributions

We welcome contributions! If you'd like to improve this blueprint, please open a pull request in the GitHub Repository.

---

Supported Devices

This blueprint supports:

• Linux-based devices, starting with Tachyon and Raspberry Pi.