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Category: Docker

Docker Part 3: Disposable Containers

The previous posts in this series on Docker have looked at using containers to run services, specifically a web server and database server. However, Docker allows containers to be created, run, stopped and destroyed so cheaply that they can be used to run a single job. This job could be a script or even a single command. Unlike a service, a job will stop running when it’s complete. A container running a short lived job can be set to automatically stop and remove itself once the job is complete. If the job needs to be run again, it is reasonably efficient for Docker to start up a brand new container as required.

Docker Part 1: Running Containers

Docker is a containerization technology that’s been getting quite a bit of attention over the last year or two. It offers a more lightweight, flexible and repeatable alternative to creating and running full Virtual Machines (VMs). In this, the first in a series of posts on Docker, I’ll look at how to run an application inside of a pre-built container image. In this series, I’ll look at:

  1. Running Containers (this post);
  2. Building Images: How to create a new container image, customized to your requirements;
  3. Disposable Containers: Using containers to run a short-lived job rather than a long-lived service;
  4. Composing an Environment Stack: Creating an environment composed of multiple linked containers.