Swift in the Cloud

CHAPTER 5Using Containers on Bluemix to Run Swift Code

The IBM Bluemix Container Service brings Docker and Kubernetes together for enabling rapid delivery of applications. Using Docker, developers can easily include all the components and dependencies an application requires to execute. If you are familiar with Docker, then you have probably seen the benefits it provides, such as portability and resource isolation. Kubernetes is an open source platform for managing containerized applications and, among other tasks, for facilitating self-healing actions in case of errors.

In this chapter, you learn what Docker is and how it can be used as a development tool and get a brief introduction to the Kubernetes platform. You will then learn how to create a Kubernetes cluster on Bluemix to host a Swift application and, finally, you will see a demonstration on how to bind Bluemix services to a Kubernetes cluster.

What Are Docker Containers?

Docker, Inc. (https://www.docker.com) is behind the development of the Docker software stack (https://www.docker.com/get-docker), an open source tool that developers can use to create a deployable unit that encapsulates an application and all the dependencies, frameworks, and libraries it needs. This deployable unit is commonly referred to as a container. Because containers are self-contained environments, they can be deployed to different host systems regardless of the configuration those hosts may have.

Although Docker containers may seem like virtual ...