📄️ What is a Container?
Container technology has revolutionized the way applications are developed, deployed, and managed, offering a lightweight alternative to traditional virtual machines (VMs). Containers allow developers to package an application along with its dependencies (libraries, binaries, and configuration files) into a single package or "container" that is platform-independent. This document provides an overview of container technology, including its core concepts, benefits, popular tools, and best practices. Containers are a form of operating system (OS) virtualization that enable multiple isolated user-space instances to run on a single host OS. Each container shares the host OS kernel, but has its own file system, process space, and network stack. This allows containers to run in isolation, without interfering with other containers or the host OS.
📄️ Docker
Docker is a set of platform as a service (PaaS) products that use OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers. Containers are isolated from each other and bundle their own software, libraries, and configuration files; they can communicate with each other through well-defined channels. For platform engineering, Docker provides a robust, flexible foundation for developing, shipping, and running applications. This documentation outlines how Docker can be leveraged in platform engineering, covering key concepts, benefits, use cases, and best practices.
📄️ Docker Compose
Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. With Compose, you use a YAML file to configure your application’s services, networks, and volumes. This simplifies the process of managing application stacks by codifying the configurations into a version-controlled file. For platform engineering, Docker Compose offers a streamlined way to deploy, scale, and manage containerized applications across various environments.
📄️ Alternatives
This section outlines alternative containerization tools and platforms that can be used in place of Docker. Each tool has its own unique features and use cases, and understanding these alternatives can help platform engineers make informed decisions when selecting the right containerization tool for their applications.