Error: DynamoDB Local Docker Not Working

When DynamoDB Local in Docker does not work, first determine whether the server failed to start or the client cannot reach it. Container logs and a minimal configuration separate image, filesystem and network problems.

docker run --rm --name dynamodb-local-check \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8000:8000 amazon/dynamodb-local:3.3.2 \
  -jar DynamoDBLocal.jar -inMemory -sharedDb

This disposable instance keeps no data after shutdown. If host port 8000 is already occupied, publish another host port and use that in the client. In another terminal:

docker ps -a
docker logs dynamodb-local-check
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=local AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=local \
aws dynamodb list-tables --region us-east-1 \
  --endpoint-url http://localhost:8000

1. Use the official amazon/dynamodb-local image. Check exit status and logs for port conflicts, memory limits or startup failures.
2. From the host, use the published port. From another container on the same network, use the database service hostname and its container port.
3. Set an explicit local endpoint, Region and dummy local-only credentials in the SDK.
4. If adding persistence breaks startup, inspect -dbPath, volume mounts and write permissions for the container user. Do not combine -dbPath and -inMemory.

The image provides its own Java runtime. A successful empty table list proves the server is reachable, not that your schema has been created. Local also differs from the AWS service, so check whether the feature being tested is supported.

See Docker and SDK configuration and AWS documentation.