What Is And What Are The Benefits Of Using Docker?

Docker has been gaining momentum for the past few years. Every organization, irrespective of its business size, is adopting the containerization platform to improve the app development process. Docker offers numerous benefits when it comes to containerization-based architecture.

Docker usage is not only limited to app deployment but also helps the DevOps team to develop and test applications within containers.

With Docker, you can build, test, deploy, and redeploy small or large applications on any platform, irrespective of the underlying infrastructure. The containerization platform has eased the life of developers by saving time and effort in managing extensive infrastructure.

What is Docker?

Docker was introduced as an open-source project in 2013 by a community of developers. Since then, it is getting on the top with its immense benefits. With it, you are able to automate and manage the development and deployment of small or large applications within the Docker containers.

Docker is a tool that helps you to build, test, and run containers within an environment. A container will bundle up a complete application or fragments of applications along with required files into a package that will run on any platform without going into the system details.

With Docker containers, there is no vendor lock-in situation. You can run containers on any platform or transfer from one platform to another without changing the system requirements. As Docker is an open-source platform, everyone can contribute to developing and adding new features that are still not available.

Docker helps developers focus on code development without getting in-depth into the details of a target system. It helps in creating portable applications that can run on any machine.

Docker also allows the IT operations team to easily manage and deploy applications having different system requirements within other containers. In this way, you can utilize the provided resources to their best, resulting in a cost-effective approach.

Advantages of Docker

Can be started within seconds as a Docker container is just a process running on the operating system.
Ensures faster deployment. With Docker, you do not have to create a new environment and only have to download the Docker image to run on a different server.
Allows you to scale and maintain the containers efficiently. You can run multiple containers containing isolated applications on the same host or server.
Docker containers require fewer resources as these are being shared by multiple containers running on the same server.
You can install and run Docker on various platforms using Docker images, like Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Disadvantages of Docker

Many of the Docker features, like container self-registration and copying the files from the host to the container, are in progress i.e. they aren’t fully developed yet. As such, these may hinder your work to some extent.
It is challenging to handle Docker containers during failure as the task cannot be automated or scaled efficiently.
With containers, you can have less overhead but not zero overhead. Containers will run at bare-metal speed.
There are some limitations to running Windows Docker applications on Linux or vice-versa. Also, it is challenging to run Docker in a heterogeneous environment.
Docker comes with some security risks like handling/moving large containers within a dynamic Docker environment.

Features of Docker

Below are some of the features of Docker:

Serves as an isolated and rapid framework.
It is an open-source solution or platform to manage, build, and run containers.
Comes with cross-platform compatibility.
Highly optimizes the use of available resources and reduces the system overhead.
It is a cost-effective approach, as you have to pay for the used resources only.
Can be configured quickly on any platform, on-premise, cloud, or VPN.
Ensures smoother application development and deployment.
Enhances team productivity by reducing/eliminating extra efforts.

Components of Docker

Docker has the following 5 significant components:

Docker daemon – It is a service running on the host system. You cannot interact with the Docker daemon (as it is a process running in the background) directly. You can provide Docker commands, which will be translated and sent to the daemon to work accordingly.
Docker Client – It works as an interface for the users to interact with the Docker daemon. It processes the commands the user provides and communicates with the Docker daemon process for executing the same.
Docker Images – Docker images are the read-only templates that help in launching Docker containers. You can download the Docker image for any platform and create a Docker container with it. You can create your Docker image or update the existing one.
Docker Registries – These registries can be private or public holding the Docker images. You can upload or download the Docker images from the repository. The public registry is the Docker Hub which offers a vast collection of Docker images. Any user can update the images accordingly and upload them back.
Docker Container – It is an isolated application platform that bundles together everything required to run an application.

Why Use Docker (Benefits of using Docker)

Although Docker has its fair share of disadvantages, its advantages easily outlast them and make it an excellent choice for app development and deployment. Some of the most important benefits of leveraging Docker are detailed as follows:

1. Support for Multi-cloud Platforms

Docker offers excellent portability and is adopted by major cloud service providers. You can run a Docker container either on an Amazon EC2 instance, Rackspace server, or any VM.

Irrespective of the platform, you will get the same consistent functionality with the same intended output and productivity. You can also integrate Docker with other cloud providers, like Azure and GCP, and configure managers efficiently.

2. An Isolated Environment at your Disposal

With Docker, your application will run as an isolated unit within a container and be segregated from other running applications. Each Docker container will have its complete file and resources to not interfere with the working of another container.

If you want to remove any Docker container, you can do so effortlessly as there is no dependency on one container. Also, removing any application will not impact the complete project. Each application, running inside a container, will have its dedicated resources, so there will be no downtime or performance degradation if any application fails.

3. High Level of Security

Docker ensures complete security by isolating one container’s application from the other. It allows you to control the traffic flow and the management of Docker containers.

One Docker container cannot interfere with another container and, thus, is not able to change the configuration of the other. If any of the containers get hacked or come under a security threat, other containers will be safe.

4. Continuous Deployment and Testing

With Docker, you will get a consistent deployment and testing environment. All the configurations of containers are maintained internally, ensuring you can use the same container application throughout different phases of the software development life cycle.

This ensures that there will be no in-between manual intervention and, hence, no impact on the deployment in production. Due to isolated containers, you can even upgrade during the release phase without disturbing the working of the complete project. It further eases the process of running Docker containers across various platforms.

5. Good ROI

Docker helps in reducing infrastructure resource costs. With Docker, you can run multiple applications using fewer resources to reduce the cost of the server and IT staff. Moreover, you only require a small engineering team.

6. Agile Development and Deployment

Docker makes your CI/CD development process more agile and responsive. It helps in improving the CI/CD process which helps in delivering a quality product within time.

Why Does Docker Matter?

There are many reasons why Docker matters to everyone. The main reason is that a developer can easily start and execute any Docker project merely by using a few commands. Docker is open source and can be easily mastered by even a non-technical person. Docker can save developers from facing numerous conflicts and challenges when they are working on the same project to create a single program or software but on different OS environments.

How is a Docker Container Different from a Virtual Machine?

You can run Docker as a daemon or use the client commands. You can consider Docker as a virtual machine, but not entirely as it is different in some aspects.

For running a virtual machine, you will require a dedicated CPU and memory. This gets complicated if you are running multiple instances of a virtual machine, resulting in more resource consumption. But with Docker containers, there is no need to duplicate the virtualized resources as they share the host OS kernel and system resources.

Docker containers are more modular than VMs i.e. they can run multiple instances of the same program without changing the system configuration every time. Rather than using multiple virtual machines to run an application, you can use the Docker Compose tool.

It allows you to link independent applications and their services into a single unit, which can be efficiently scaled without creating a significant overhead.

Success Stories of Docker Migration

Let’s now have a look at three big companies that have benefited from using Docker.

1. GE Appliances

As an early technology leader, GE has been following the same practices and data processing systems for many years. Due to this, the company was taking an unnecessarily long time in developing and delivering its applications.

To reduce this lag time, the company initially migrated to the cloud but failed to get rid of many practices that were still existing. On switching to Docker, the company’s developers found it easy to use and got used to it soon. They developed important services around Docker, with lots of applications. It was just because of Docker that GE was able to migrate quickly, easily, and smoothly, and provide support for its legacy applications.

2. BBC News

The news division of BBC was struggling with its speed and volume. BBC News delivers broadcast and online news in around 30 languages. In the English language alone, it delivers over 80,000 daily news items. It ran over 26,000 jobs in ten different continuous integration environments with sequential scheduling. This was causing a chronic logjam, and overall wait and run time of up to 60 minutes per job.

When BBC News migrated to Docker, it was able to get rid of the job wait time and run jobs side by side. The developers also quickly adapted to Docker migration. With this migration, they got a flexible continuous integration environment that enables them to have more control over application architecture with ease.

3. Lyft

Lyft is a leading transportation-on-demand company. For its business to run smoothly, the company relies majorly on its mobile phone ridesharing app which was monolithic and quite huge. The company was facing problems in maintaining such a large app and that too at a large scale. Its initial transition to microservices was not successful so later it decided to move to Docker.

This migration to Docker enabled its developers to test and deploy features independently while effectively managing communication between microservices. Lyft’s development and delivery also became faster and more efficient with this move. Currently, Docker is used by Lyft to manage its continuous integration chain and for testing.

In addition to these big companies, many other reputed companies have benefited from their migration to Docker. These companies include Spotify, eBay, Expedia, Groupon, ING, The New York Times, Oxford University Press, PayPal, The Washington Post, Uber, etc.

Conclusion

Today, more and more companies are leveraging Docker containers, may it be big tech giants or humble startups. Doing so not only streamlines the development process but also increases the pace of the same and the quality of the developed product.

In the above sections, we talked about Docker, why it is necessary within a business of any size, why Docker tends to fail in certain situations and the benefits of employing it.

Once you start working with Docker and its tools, you will realize the difference that it brings. It will definitely improve the operational capability of your DevOps and IT teams.

People are also reading:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Docker free of cost?

Docker is free for small companies that have less than 250 employees and annual revenue that is less than $10 million. The Docker Desktop is free for personal usage, education, and non-commercial open-source initiatives. For large businesses, a premium subscription (Pro, Team, or Business) that starts at $5 per month is required.

2. What is the main difference between docker and container?

Docker is a service that manages containers. Whereas, a container is a software that stores code and all of its dependencies so that programs can operate fast and efficiently in different computing environments.

3. When should I use Docker?

You should use Docker as a version control system for your entire app’s operating system. Another scenario in which Docker should be used is when you want to distribute/collaborate on your app’s operating system with a team. You can also use Docker to run your code on your laptop in the same environment as you have on your server.

4. What are the common use cases of Docker?

Docker is an open platform that is used to create, transport, and run applications. Docker allows developers to separate applications from infrastructure so that they can deliver the final software at the earliest. Docker also allows managing the infrastructure in the same way as applications are managed.

5. What is a Docker container in simple terms?

A Docker container image is a standalone, lightweight, executable package of software that includes all the things required to run an application. The things it comprises are code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings.

6. What are the three key benefits of using Docker?

Docker is a wonderful tool that helps developers in the continuous deployment process of an application. In addition, developers prefer Dockers for their performance, scalability, and profitability.