Docker: Up & Running

Chapter 11. Designing Your Production Container Platform

When implementing any core technology in production, the most mileage is often gained by designing a resilient platform that is forgiving of the unexpected issues that will eventually occur. When used as intended, with close attention to detail, Docker can be an incredibly powerful tool. As a young technology that is going through very rapid growth cycles, you are bound to trigger frustrating bugs in Docker and its interactions with the underlying kernel.

If, instead of simply deploying Docker into your environment, you take the time to build a well-designed container platform on top of Docker, you can enjoy the many benefits of a Docker-based workflow while protecting yourself from some of the sharper exposed edges that typically exist in such a high-velocity project.

Like all other technology, Docker doesn’t magically solve all your problems. To reach its true potential, organizations must make very conscious decisions about why and how they are going to use it. For very small projects, it is possible to use Docker in a very simple manner; however, if you plan to support a large project that can scale with demand, it quickly becomes important to ensure that you are making very deliberate decisions about how your applications and platform are designed. This ensures that you can maximize the return on your investment in the technology. Taking the time to design your platform with intention can also make it much easier to ...