# Node-red container has disappeared from Docker, why & how do I retrieve it?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** docker, home-assistant\
**Created:** [15 July 2023 10:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841 "2023-07-15T10:13:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DublinBayPrawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dublinbayprawn/32/74333_2.png) [@DublinBayPrawn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DublinBayPrawn)\
**Post date:** [15 July 2023 10:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/1 "2023-07-15T10:13:15Z")

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Not sure if this is the appropriate forum or category, but here goes:

I have a Synology NAS running Docker.

It was set up with containers:  
Mosquitto MQTT  
Node-red  
InfluxDB  
Grafana  
Home-Assistant  
Portainer  
Watchtower

The Node-red container has completely disappeared!

The NAS was not in use at the time and I am assuming that Watchtower might be the culprit.

I do have Synology's Hyperbackup running so assume that I could retrieve an older copy of the container.

Or is there a better solution to save the many flows that have been created ?

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2023 04:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/2 "2023-07-16T04:15:58Z")

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> [@DublinBayPrawn](#):
>
> I do have Synology's Hyperbackup running so assume that I could retrieve an older copy of the container.

Containers should be considered immutable. Nothing should be created/stored inside a container other than the program itself (ie. the node-red flows should not be stored inside the container). If the container is gone, then it is only a matter of spinning it back up.

> [@](#):
>
> Or is there a better solution to save the many flows that have been created ?

How did you create the node-red container ?

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**Author:** ![DublinBayPrawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dublinbayprawn/32/74333_2.png) [@DublinBayPrawn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DublinBayPrawn)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2023 08:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/3 "2023-07-16T08:52:02Z")

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OK, thanks.....

I created the container following an on-line tutorial which suggested creating a folder "docker/nodered".  
Then the command:  
"sudo docker run -itd --name="nodered" --restart=always --net=host -p 1880:1880 -e TZ=Europe/Zagreb -v /volume2/docker/nodered:/data nodered/node-red"

Looking at the NAS, there is a "docker/nodered" folder that contains many folders and files (suggesting that this is the data associated with the now missing Node-RED container?) .

So, what is the best way of installing a Node-RED container in Docker so that it picks up the existing data?

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**Author:** ![DublinBayPrawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dublinbayprawn/32/74333_2.png) [@DublinBayPrawn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DublinBayPrawn)\
**Post date:** [17 July 2023 09:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/4 "2023-07-17T09:36:43Z")

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Having realised that the "docker/nodered" folder contained the floe data etc, I re-installed the node-red container and hey-presto, It's all up and running again!

Many thanks

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [17 July 2023 10:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/5 "2023-07-17T10:01:19Z")

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> [@DublinBayPrawn](#):
>
> I re-installed the node-red container

Do you mean you ran `docker run` again?

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**Author:** ![DublinBayPrawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dublinbayprawn/32/74333_2.png) [@DublinBayPrawn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DublinBayPrawn)\
**Post date:** [17 July 2023 10:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/6 "2023-07-17T10:15:15Z")

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Hi Colin;

by " Do you mean you ran `docker run` again?" if you mean in the NAS terminal running the command

"sudo docker run -itd --name="nodered" --restart=always --net=host -p 1880:1880 -e TZ=Europe/London -v /volume2/docker/nodered:/data nodered/node-red"

then, yes, that's what I did.......and it worked........so far, all's good.

Still not sure why the Node-RED container vanished from Portainer in the first place, I'm thinking that Watchtower mis-behaved so turned it off.

Any thoughts?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [17 July 2023 10:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/7 "2023-07-17T10:36:41Z")

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> [@DublinBayPrawn](#):
>
> Any thoughts?

Not really. Have you tried power cycling the device to make sure the container restarts?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DublinBayPrawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dublinbayprawn/32/74333_2.png) [@DublinBayPrawn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/DublinBayPrawn)\
**Post date:** [17 July 2023 10:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/8 "2023-07-17T10:47:52Z")

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> [@Colin](#):
>
> Not really. Have you tried power cycling the device to make sure the container restarts?

Yes, all of the containers restart after a NAS power cycle.

Thanks

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [15 September 2023 10:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-container-has-disappeared-from-docker-why-how-do-i-retrieve-it/79841/9 "2023-09-15T10:48:44Z")

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