diff --git a/sonarQuest-backend/Docker/Dockerfile2 b/sonarQuest-backend/Docker/Dockerfile2
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/sonarQuest-backend/Docker/Dockerfile2
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+FROM maven:3.5.3-jdk-8
+
+
+LABEL maintainer="https://github.com/aabeling"
+LABEL description="sonarquest backend with external configuration"
+
+COPY  . /usr/src/sonarQuest
+WORKDIR /usr/src/sonarQuest
+
+# build the executable jar
+RUN mvn clean package
+
+EXPOSE 8080
+ENTRYPOINT java \
+           -jar \
+           -Dspring.config.location=/root/conf/application.properties \
+           target/sonarQuest-*.jar
diff --git a/sonarQuest-backend/Docker/README.md b/sonarQuest-backend/Docker/README.md
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index 00000000..6477d2a6
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+++ b/sonarQuest-backend/Docker/README.md
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+# Dockerfiles
+
+Dockerfile2 is an alternative to the `Dockerfile` which is
+used with docker-compose.
+
+It allows an external configuration via an `application.properties`
+lying on the docker host and which is made available to the
+docker container via volumes.
+
+Build the image e.g. from within the backend folder with
+
+```
+$ docker build -t sonarquest-backend -f Docker/Dockerfile2 .
+```
+
+The image expects the configuration files to be in folder `/root/conf/`.
+
+Example setup with an external h2 file database:
+
+let `sqb` be the current directory.
+Define an `application.properties` in folder `sqb` with content
+
+```
+spring.datasource.url=jdbc:h2:file:/tmp/sonarQuest/sonarQuest
+```
+
+Start the container with
+
+```
+docker run -v `pwd`:/root/conf -v /tmp/sonarQuestDb:/tmp/sonarQuest sonarquest-backend
+```
+
+The h2 database file will then be created (or used) in the host's folder
+`/tmp/sonarQuestDb`.
+
+