Environment Variables Complete reference for all environment variables used in TradAI services.
Overview TradAI uses a hierarchical configuration system:
Root .env : Shared variables used across all servicesService .env : Service-specific variables (e.g., services/backend/.env)Environment variables : Runtime overrides Priority order: Environment variables > Service .env > Root .env
Security
Never commit .env files to git. Use .env.example files as templates.
Shared Configuration These variables are defined in the root .env file and shared across services.
AWS Configuration Variable Required Default Description AWS_REGIONYes us-east-1AWS region for all services AWS_ACCESS_KEY_IDDev only - AWS access key (use IAM roles in production) AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEYDev only - AWS secret key (use IAM roles in production)
Docker Configuration Variable Required Default Description COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAMENo tradaiDocker Compose project name TAGNo latestDocker image tag
MLflow Configuration Variable Required Default Description MLFLOW_TRACKING_URIYes http://mlflow:5000MLflow tracking server URL MLFLOW_TRACKING_USERNAMENo - MLflow basic auth username MLFLOW_TRACKING_PASSWORDNo - MLflow basic auth password
CLI Configuration Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_URLNo http://localhost:8000Backend service URL for CLI TRADAI_UI_URLNo http://localhost:3000TradAI UI URL for deep links
S3 Configuration Loading Variable Required Default Description S3_CONFIGNo - S3 URI for remote config (e.g., s3://bucket/config.yaml)
Backend Service Environment prefix: BACKEND_
Server Settings Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_HOSTNo 0.0.0.0Server bind host BACKEND_PORTNo 8000Server bind port BACKEND_DEBUGNo falseEnable debug mode BACKEND_LOG_LEVELNo INFOLogging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR) BACKEND_CORS_ORIGINSNo []CORS origins (JSON array or comma-separated)
External Services Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_DATA_COLLECTION_URLNo http://localhost:8002Data collection service URL BACKEND_STRATEGY_SERVICE_URLNo http://localhost:8003Strategy service URL BACKEND_MLFLOW_TRACKING_URINo http://localhost:5001MLflow tracking URI
AWS Resources Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_AWS_REGIONNo us-east-1AWS region BACKEND_BACKTEST_QUEUE_URLNo - SQS queue URL for backtest jobs BACKEND_S3_CONFIG_BUCKETNo - S3 bucket for configurations BACKEND_S3_RESULTS_BUCKETNo - S3 bucket for backtest results BACKEND_DYNAMODB_TABLE_NAMENo - DynamoDB table for workflow state
Executor Configuration Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_EXECUTOR_MODENo sqsExecutor mode: sqs, ecs, local, stepfunctions BACKEND_LOCAL_EXECUTION_MODENo dockerLocal mode: subprocess or docker BACKEND_USER_DATA_DIRNo user_dataFreqtrade user_data directory path BACKEND_USER_DATA_HOST_PATHNo - Host path for Docker-in-Docker scenarios
ECS Executor Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_ECS_CLUSTERECS mode - ECS cluster name BACKEND_ECS_TASK_DEFINITION_PREFIXNo strategy-Task definition prefix BACKEND_ECS_SUBNETSECS mode - VPC subnet IDs (comma-separated) BACKEND_ECS_SECURITY_GROUPSECS mode - Security group IDs (comma-separated)
Step Functions Executor Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_STEPFUNCTIONS_STATE_MACHINE_ARNSF mode - State machine ARN
Cognito Authentication Variable Required Default Description BACKEND_COGNITO_USER_POOL_IDNo - Cognito User Pool ID (None = auth disabled) BACKEND_COGNITO_CLIENT_IDNo - Cognito App Client ID BACKEND_COGNITO_REGIONNo us-east-1Cognito AWS region
Strategy Service Environment prefix: STRATEGY_SERVICE_
Server Settings Variable Required Default Description STRATEGY_SERVICE_HOSTNo 0.0.0.0Server bind host STRATEGY_SERVICE_PORTNo 8003Server bind port STRATEGY_SERVICE_DEBUGNo falseEnable debug mode STRATEGY_SERVICE_LOG_LEVELNo INFOLogging level
S3 Configuration Variable Required Default Description STRATEGY_SERVICE_S3_CONFIG_BUCKETYes - S3 bucket for strategy configs STRATEGY_SERVICE_RESULTS_BUCKETNo - S3 bucket for results STRATEGY_SERVICE_MODELS_BUCKETNo - S3 bucket for ML models
MLflow Configuration Variable Required Default Description STRATEGY_SERVICE_MLFLOW_TRACKING_URINo https://mlflow.tradai.smartml.meMLflow tracking URI STRATEGY_SERVICE_MLFLOW_USERNAMENo - MLflow basic auth username STRATEGY_SERVICE_MLFLOW_PASSWORDNo - MLflow basic auth password STRATEGY_SERVICE_MLFLOW_VERIFY_SSLNo trueVerify SSL certificates
Data Configuration Variable Required Default Description STRATEGY_SERVICE_ARCTIC_S3_BUCKETNo - ArcticDB S3 bucket (empty = in-memory) STRATEGY_SERVICE_ARCTIC_LIBRARYNo futuresArcticDB library name STRATEGY_SERVICE_EXCHANGE_NAMENo binanceCCXT exchange name STRATEGY_SERVICE_EXCHANGE_TRADING_MODENo futuresTrading mode: spot, margin, futures STRATEGY_SERVICE_EXCHANGE_API_KEYNo - Exchange API key STRATEGY_SERVICE_EXCHANGE_API_SECRETNo - Exchange API secret STRATEGY_SERVICE_EXCHANGE_SECRET_NAMENo - AWS Secrets Manager secret name
Backtest Configuration Variable Required Default Description STRATEGY_SERVICE_STRATEGY_PATHNo - Path to strategy files STRATEGY_SERVICE_USER_DATA_DIRNo user_dataFreqtrade user data directory STRATEGY_SERVICE_HYPEROPT_TRIAL_TIMEOUT_SECONDSNo 7200Hyperopt trial timeout (2h default)
A/B Testing Variable Required Default Description STRATEGY_SERVICE_AB_TEST_TABLE_NAMENo - DynamoDB table for A/B test state STRATEGY_SERVICE_SNS_REGISTRATION_TOPIC_ARNNo - SNS topic for registration events
Data Collection Service Environment prefix: DATA_COLLECTION_
Server Settings Variable Required Default Description DATA_COLLECTION_HOSTNo 0.0.0.0Server bind host DATA_COLLECTION_PORTNo 8002Server bind port DATA_COLLECTION_DEBUGNo falseEnable debug mode DATA_COLLECTION_LOG_LEVELNo INFOLogging level
ArcticDB Configuration Variable Required Default Description DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_S3_BUCKETYes - S3 bucket for ArcticDB DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_LIBRARYNo futuresArcticDB library name DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_S3_ENDPOINTNo s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.comS3 endpoint DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_USE_SSLNo trueUse SSL (false for LocalStack) DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_ACCESS_KEYNo - S3 access key (for LocalStack/MinIO) DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_SECRET_KEYNo - S3 secret key (for LocalStack/MinIO) DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_REGIONNo us-east-1AWS region DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_USE_VIRTUAL_ADDRESSINGNo trueVirtual-hosted URLs (false for LocalStack)
Exchange Configuration Variable Required Default Description DATA_COLLECTION_EXCHANGESYes - Exchange configs (JSON dict)
Exchange JSON format:
{
"binance_futures" : {
"name" : "binance" ,
"market_type" : "futures" ,
"api_key" : "..." ,
"api_secret" : "..."
}
}
Streaming Configuration Variable Required Default Description DATA_COLLECTION_STREAMING_BUFFER_SIZENo 100Candles to buffer before flush DATA_COLLECTION_STREAMING_FLUSH_INTERVALNo 60Max seconds between flushes DATA_COLLECTION_STREAMING_MAX_RECONNECTSNo 5Max WebSocket reconnection attempts
MLflow Service Server Settings Variable Required Default Description MLFLOW_HOSTNo 0.0.0.0Server bind host MLFLOW_PORTNo 5000Server bind port MLFLOW_WORKERSNo 2Number of Gunicorn workers
Storage Configuration Variable Required Default Description MLFLOW_BACKEND_STORE_URIYes - PostgreSQL connection string MLFLOW_DEFAULT_ARTIFACT_ROOTYes - Artifact storage path (S3 URI or local path)
Backend Store URI examples:
# Development (Docker Compose PostgreSQL)
MLFLOW_BACKEND_STORE_URI = postgresql://tradai:tradai_dev@postgres:5432/mlflow
# Production (RDS)
MLFLOW_BACKEND_STORE_URI = postgresql://mlflowuser:${ PASSWORD } @rds-endpoint:5432/mlflow
Artifact Root examples:
# Development (local volume)
MLFLOW_DEFAULT_ARTIFACT_ROOT = /mlflow/artifacts
# Production (S3)
MLFLOW_DEFAULT_ARTIFACT_ROOT = s3://tradai-mlflow-prod/artifacts
Lambda Functions Lambda handlers use environment variables without prefixes.
Common Lambda Settings Variable Required Default Description ENVIRONMENTNo devDeployment environment PROJECT_NAMENo tradaiProject name for namespacing LOG_LEVELNo INFOPython logging level SNS_ALERTS_TOPIC_ARNNo - SNS topic for alerts CLOUDWATCH_NAMESPACENo - CloudWatch metrics namespace
Health Check Lambda Variable Required Default Description DYNAMODB_TABLE_NAMENo - DynamoDB table for state SERVICE_DISCOVERY_NAMESPACENo tradai.localCloud Map namespace HEALTH_CHECK_TIMEOUTNo 10HTTP timeout in seconds CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES_THRESHOLDNo 2Failures before alert
Drift Monitor Lambda Variable Required Default Description DRIFT_STATE_TABLENo - DynamoDB table for drift state MLFLOW_TRACKING_URINo - MLflow server URL MLFLOW_TRACKING_USERNAMENo - MLflow username MLFLOW_TRACKING_PASSWORDNo - MLflow password PSI_MODERATE_THRESHOLDNo 0.10Moderate drift threshold PSI_SIGNIFICANT_THRESHOLDNo 0.25Significant drift threshold MIN_SAMPLESNo 10Minimum samples for analysis REFERENCE_PERIOD_DAYSNo 30Reference period in days CURRENT_PERIOD_DAYSNo 7Current period in days
Retraining Scheduler Lambda Variable Required Default Description ECS_CLUSTERYes - ECS cluster for retraining ECS_TASK_DEFINITION_PREFIXNo strategy-Task definition prefix ECS_SUBNETSYes - Subnet IDs (comma-separated) ECS_SECURITY_GROUPSYes - Security group IDs (comma-separated) ECS_CONTAINER_NAMENo strategyContainer name USE_SPOTNo falseUse Fargate Spot RETRAINING_INTERVAL_DAYSNo 7Days between retraining MIN_HOURS_BETWEEN_RETRAININGNo 24Minimum hours between runs DRIFT_STATE_TABLENo tradai-drift-stateDrift state table RETRAINING_STATE_TABLENo tradai-retraining-stateRetraining state table
Trading Heartbeat Lambda Variable Required Default Description HEARTBEAT_TIMEOUT_SECONDSNo 300Max age for valid heartbeat HEARTBEAT_TABLE_NAMENo - DynamoDB table for heartbeats
Model Management Lambda Variable Required Default Description MLFLOW_TRACKING_URIYes - MLflow server URL MLFLOW_TRACKING_USERNAMENo - MLflow username MLFLOW_TRACKING_PASSWORDNo - MLflow password MODEL_REGISTRY_NAMENo tradai-modelsMLflow model registry name
Local Development Quick Start # Copy example files
.env.example .env
services/backend/.env.example services/backend/.env
services/data-collection/.env.example services/data-collection/.env
# Edit with your values
.env
Docker Compose Development # Required for local development
COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME = tradai
TAG = latest
MLFLOW_TRACKING_URI = http://mlflow:5000 # Internal Docker network
# Backend connects to other services via Docker network
BACKEND_DATA_COLLECTION_URL = http://data-collection:8002
BACKEND_STRATEGY_SERVICE_URL = http://strategy-service:8003
LocalStack (Local AWS) For testing AWS services locally:
# ArcticDB with LocalStack
DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_S3_ENDPOINT = localstack:4566
DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_USE_SSL = false
DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_USE_VIRTUAL_ADDRESSING = false
DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_ACCESS_KEY = test
DATA_COLLECTION_ARCTIC_SECRET_KEY = test
Production Deployment IAM Roles (Recommended) In production, use IAM roles instead of access keys:
# Do NOT set these in production
# AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=
# AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=
# IAM role attached to ECS task or EC2 instance handles authentication
AWS_REGION = us-east-1
Secrets Manager Use AWS Secrets Manager for sensitive values:
# Reference secrets by name, not value
STRATEGY_SERVICE_EXCHANGE_SECRET_NAME = tradai/exchange-credentials
Environment-Specific Configuration # Load config from S3 for environment-specific settings
S3_CONFIG = s3://tradai-config/production/config.yaml
See Also