Set Mules Ollama API URL in Docker

This guide shows you how to point MuleSoft’s Mule runtime (running in a Docker container) at a local or remote Ollama API endpoint. You’ll learn the exact environment variables and Docker flags to use, so your Mule flows can call Ollama’s LLM endpoints (like /api/generate or /api/chat) without hardcoding URLs. You’ll need Docker installed and a basic understanding of Mule applications.

What You’ll Need

• Docker installed on your machine (Docker Desktop or a Linux server).
• A Mule application that uses the HTTP Connector or a REST client to call Ollama.
• Ollama running somewhere accessible (e.g., http://localhost:11434 on the host, or a remote server).
• The Mule runtime version you’re using (e.g., 4.4.x or 4.5.x).

Step-by-Step

1. Identify the Ollama API URL
   Decide where Ollama is reachable. If it’s on the same host as Docker, use http://host.docker.internal:11434 (on Windows/macOS) or the host’s IP (Linux). If it’s remote, use its public or private IP, e.g., http://192.168.1.50:11434.
2. Decide how to pass the URL
   You can set it as an environment variable in the container, or as a Mule application property. The cleanest way is to use an environment variable that your Mule config reads via ${env.OLLAMA_API_URL}.
3. Create or edit your Mule configuration
   In your mule-artifact.properties or global.xml, define a property placeholder. For example, in global.xml:
   <context:property-placeholder location="mule-artifact.properties" />
   Then in your HTTP Request connector, set the URL to ${ollama.api.url}.
4. Add the property to your application
   In mule-artifact.properties, add:
   ollama.api.url=http://localhost:11434 (this is just a default; you’ll override it at runtime).
5. Build your Mule application
   Package it as a deployable JAR (e.g., using Maven: mvn clean package). You’ll get a file like mule-app.jar.
6. Run the Docker container with the environment variable
   Use the -e flag to set the variable. For example:
   docker run -d -p 8081:8081 -e OLLAMA_API_URL=http://host.docker.internal:11434 -v /path/to/app.jar:/opt/mule/apps/app.jar mulesoft/mule:4.4.0
   Replace mulesoft/mule:4.4.0 with your actual image tag.
7. Reference the environment variable in your Mule config
   In your global.xml or the HTTP Request connector, use ${env.OLLAMA_API_URL} instead of the hardcoded property. For example:
   <http:request-config name="Ollama_HTTP_Request">
  <http:request-connection host="${env.OLLAMA_API_URL}" port="11434" />
</http:request-config>
   Note: If the URL includes a port, you may need to split it into host and port, or use the full URL in the url attribute of a http:request.
8. Test the connection
   Once the container is running, call a Mule flow that hits Ollama. Check the logs for errors. If it fails, proceed to the Troubleshooting section.

Common Mistakes

• Using localhost inside the container – Inside the container, localhost refers to the container itself, not your host. Use host.docker.internal (Windows/macOS) or the host’s IP (Linux).
• Forgetting to pass the environment variable – If you don’t use -e, the variable won’t exist, and Mule will fail to resolve the placeholder.
• Mixing up host and port – If your URL is http://192.168.1.50:11434, you can’t put the whole thing in the host attribute of the HTTP Request connector. Split it into host and port, or use the full URL in a http:request operation.
• Not rebuilding the Mule app – If you change the property placeholder in your Mule config, you must rebuild the JAR and restart the container.

Tips

• Use a .env file with Docker Compose to manage environment variables neatly.
• If you’re using Docker Compose, define the environment variable under environment: in your service definition.
• For security, don’t hardcode API keys or URLs in your Mule app; always use environment variables or a secure property provider.
• If Ollama is on a different network, ensure firewalls allow traffic on port 11434.
• Test the URL from inside the container with a simple curl command (if available) before debugging Mule.

Troubleshooting

1. Connection refused
Check if Ollama is actually listening on the expected port. On the host, run curl http://localhost:11434. If it works, check that host.docker.internal resolves correctly. On Linux, you may need to add --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway to your docker run command.

2. Placeholder cannot be resolved
If you see an error like Could not resolve placeholder 'env.OLLAMA_API_URL', it means the environment variable isn’t set. Double-check your docker run command for the -e flag.

3. 404 Not Found
If you get a 404, the URL path is wrong. Ollama’s endpoints are /api/generate and /api/chat. Make sure your HTTP Request connector uses the correct path.

4. Timeout
If the request times out, Ollama might be slow to generate a response. Increase the response timeout in your HTTP Request configuration (e.g., responseTimeout="60000").

5. DNS issues inside container
If host.docker.internal doesn’t work, use the host’s IP address. Find it with ipconfig (Windows) or ifconfig/ip addr (Linux).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use http://localhost:11434 if Ollama runs in a separate container?
A: No, unless you use Docker’s host network mode (--network host). Otherwise, use the container’s name or IP.

Q: How do I pass the URL if I’m using Docker Compose?
A: Add an environment: section to your service definition, like:
environment:
- OLLAMA_API_URL=http://host.docker.internal:11434

Q: Do I need to expose port 11434 on the Mule container?
A: No, the Mule container doesn’t need to expose that port; it only needs to connect to Ollama’s port.

Q: What if I want to use a different port for Ollama?
A: Just change the port in the URL. Ollama defaults to 11434, but you can override it with OLLAMA_HOST environment variable on the Ollama side.

Q: Can I set the URL via a Mule property file instead of environment variable?
A: Yes, but then you’d have to bake the URL into the JAR, which is less flexible. Environment variables are recommended for deployment-specific values.

Q: Is there a way to test the connection without a full Mule flow?
A: Yes, you can run a simple curl from inside the container: docker exec <container_id> curl http://host.docker.internal:11434.

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