Docker Use Case: A Demonstrative Guide with Real-world Example
Containers can be considered a platform, an app layer abstraction, or a virtualized OS that helps package everything coded for an app in one machine in the form of a bundled image or a file. This bundle, for instance, will consist of all libraries, resources, codes, etc., required to run the app under development on another machine without any extravagant prerequisites.
Imagine the considerable amount of development time and cost you can save, especially while evolving your software architecture or migrating towards the cloud or something new. It’s a game-changer!
So, what is all this hype about Docker? You might wonder, what is Docker?
Docker is a container that functions in the form of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and focuses on OS-level virtualization.
In simple words, it packages applications into excitable components that consist of libraries and dependencies that can run on a given OS or a computing environment. Not to mention it’s an open-source technology today and can run on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
What is Docker used for?
For starters, when your development pipeline involves the usage of multiple computing environments, Docker would help create an environment with standardized instructions. In other words, Docker would help to reduce the inconsistency between different systems and avoid repeating any development task.
Moreover, everyone involved in the project would be working in the same computing environment. For instance, Docker-compose is used to create a configuration file committed to a particular code repository. Any team member can access this file, create their own and respective development environment according to their system, and maintain code consistency. Being able to configure faster is just the icing on the cake!
But that list of examples of where and how Docker can be used does not stop at that. Why are companies embracing them? What’s the reason behind it being so popular besides its development advantages? Let us draw a clear picture of that by venturing into what are the benefits of Docker. BH
Creation of microservices architecture:
Organizations, be it small or large, are actively adopting microservices replacing monolithic apps for various reasons such as scalability, performance, etc. However, it is fundamental to be aware of the issue that microservice architecture may pose regarding dependencies since architecture is broken down into individual and smaller components.
Containerization with Docker provides the ability to isolate these individual components into different workload environments. Thus, teams can independently work on their assigned components and yet deploy and scale them simultaneously by collaborating with other component-related teams. Specifically, Docker Hub and Docker Desktop focus on running microservice-based applications if you are interested.
What’s next? – The conclusion
According to a study, the application containers market was predicted to be more than $4.3 billion in 2022. And when big companies like The New York Times, PayPal, Spotify, Uber, and many more, overcome various challenges by using Docker, other businesses also get the motivation to employ its use. In fact, Docker has evolved at such an astonishing pace that a mere mention of containerization makes us think of Docker.
And now, it is clear that the list of Docker use cases does not stop just at best practices.
Cloud Solutions Architect
L&T Group
