# Setting up a Bridge Server using docker.

A Bridge Server is the best practice for running bridges on the network.

A Bridge server is secondary to a master server, please contact a master
server operator to organise an ID for your bridge server.  Bridge and
repeater servers both operate similarly and use 5 digit server IDs, 
prefixed with the 4 digits used by their master.

Refer to the README.Server.txt for most of the information as the same
image and configuration syntax is used for both master and bridge/repeater
server instances.

Bridge mode is achieved by starting the container with BRIDGE_SERVER
environment variable set to 1.  When in bridge mode a Parrot/Echo instance
or hotspot proxy are not started.


## Docker Images

Bridge servers use the same images as a master server with slightly 
different environment variables.

docker.dvdmr.org/digitalvoice/master:latest 	Master/Bridge Server

## Monitoring 

You can setup monitoring dashboard the same was as a master server;
update the FDMR_CONNECTION block in the mon.cfg of the monitoring container
to point to your bridge container.

## Configuration

Download the sample config files from https://dvdmr.org/docs/configs/ and 
rename them; You require 2 files for a bridge/repeater server which should
be placed into the /config volume.

bridge.cfg	- Master Server Configuration
bridge_rules.py - Monitoring Dashboard Configuration

## Docker Compose

A sample docker compose file can be found at:

https://dvdmr.org/docs/docker-compose-bridge.yml

to expose any ports from this container.

# Environment Variables

- BRIDGE_SERVER=1
- DMR_CONFIG=/config/bridge.cfg
- DMR_RULES=/config/bridge_rules.py
- SUPERVISOR_MODE=1

This document uses the default names for DMR_CONFIG and DMR_RULES as
above.

# OpenBridge Between Master & Bridges

Bridge servers are usually only connected to their own master server but
*may* decide for redundancy to connect to another bridge server or master
server.

Create an OBP- block on your master pointing to the container name or IP
address assigned to your bridge container; and vice-verse within the
bridge configuration ensure you have a bridge connection to your master.

Example OBP- blocks are available in both the dmrmaster.cfg and bridge.cfg
files under OBP-BRIDGE and OBP-MASTER blocks.

# Inbound MMDVM

If Hotspot style connections to your bridge server are required (eg from
MMDVM_Bridge) you must define a MASTER for each one.

Each MASTER should be configured with a unique port; ensure that port is 
mapped in your docker compose ports.

# rules.py

GEN_STAT_BRIDGES should not be used in bridge mode.   Instead all bridges
should be statically defined in your bridge_rules.py/rules.py file.