Resolving the Connection Refused Error in Spring Boot and ElasticSearch Integration

Learn how to resolve the common `Connection refused` error when integrating Spring Boot with ElasticSearch within a Docker environment.
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Resolving the Connection Refused Error in Spring Boot and ElasticSearch Integration

When developing a Spring Boot application that connects to ElasticSearch, encountering connection issues can be frustrating. One common error is the Connection refused exception, which typically occurs when your Spring Boot application cannot establish a connection to the ElasticSearch server running in Docker. In this post, we will walk through the problem and provide a detailed solution to get your application up and running correctly.

Understanding the Problem

When you try to run your Spring Boot application and connect to ElasticSearch, you might come across the following error:

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This error indicates that the application cannot connect to the intended ElasticSearch service. There are several reasons why this error might occur, primarily related to Docker configurations and ElasticSearch setup.

Diagnosing the Issue

To effectively troubleshoot the connectivity problem between your Spring Boot application and ElasticSearch, follow these steps:

1. Check ElasticSearch Configuration

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In this configuration:

2. Review Application Properties

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Note the URL uses HTTP instead of HTTPS, matching our Docker settings.

3. Ensure Docker Container Dependencies

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This ensures that the ElasticSearch service is started before the Spring Boot application is initiated.

The Solution

Here’s how you can set up your Docker and Spring Boot application properly to avoid Connection refused issues:

Modify the Docker Configuration

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Eliminate Unnecessary Configuration

Complete Example of Docker Compose and Settings

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Conclusion

By ensuring the proper configuration of your ElasticSearch instance and your Spring Boot application, you can eliminate the Connection refused errors that arise during developm