Using Docker

Preface

Containers are a lightweight and portable store for an application and its dependencies.

Written down by itself, this sounds dry and boring. But the process improvements made possible by containers are anything but; used correctly, containers can be game-changing. So persuasive is the lure of the architectures and workflows made possible by containers that in the span of a year, it feels like every major IT company has gone from never having heard of Docker or containers to actively investigating and using them.

The rise of Docker has been astonishing. I don’t remember any technology that has had such a fast and profound effect on the IT industry. This book is my attempt to help you understand why containers are so important, what you stand to gain from adopting containerization, and most importantly, how to go about it.

Who Should Read This Book

This book tries to take a holistic approach to Docker, explaining the reasons for using Docker and showing how to use it and how to integrate it into a software development workflow. The book covers the entire software lifecycle, from development through to production and maintenance.

I have tried to avoid assuming too much of the reader beyond a basic knowledge of Linux and software development in general. The intended readership is primarily software developers, operations engineers, and system administrators (particularly those keen to develop a DevOps approach), but technically informed managers and enthusiasts should also ...