If you are a software developer or in the initial stage of becoming a DevOps engineer, you need to understand what Docker is and how things work in the Docker system. Precisely, Docker is a containerization platform that leverages OS-level virtualization.
Docker contains a set of application programs, and these programs let you create and run applications in various Docker containers. These are individual packages of software that have their own data files, libraries, and other functional content.
While the software is running, the content within a Docker file communicates with each other through servers to process a smooth operation. In simple words, you can use Docker to deploy the valuable resources the applications require so that they can be functional and portable.
If you want to create functional apps and at the same time don’t want to ruin the features, you need to use Docker containers. They will help you wrap the software in the most appropriate way to efficiently manage the storage and transfer the package from one operating system to another without losing any data.
In this post, we will talk about how to learn Docker and the best free and paid courses to do the same. Have a look now!
Why Learn Docker?
To develop a successful application that offers the right solution and comes with the appropriate sets of features, creators need to learn different techniques.
Docker makes everything effortless and simple. As it is a combination of different Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products, you have the freedom to choose any tools under all types of deployment settings.
You are a successful app developer now, but you may want to boost your career with more valuable sources of experience and start your DevOps Career. Docker, in that case, delivers what you deserve.
Learning Docker will help resolve a myriad of issues you might come across with web application development. You can efficiently distribute your applications with others to help you deal with the project and run your business smoothly. The whole process needs you to have a little knowledge about application development and networking.
Moreover, Docker itself is a fantastic and simple concept where all you need to do is create a Docker image and upload it to a registry. An application may not support all platforms; Docker will help you make you do so.
As a result, your colleagues and business associates can accommodate various needs regarding the business scheme. These were some convincing points as to why one should learn Docker.
Prerequisites of Learning Docker, What You Should Know
Using Docker requires a basic set of knowledge regarding various parts of the application development system. If you are a software engineer and have prior experience building web applications, you can learn Docker to improve your abilities further to build valuable software.
Having experience with the following prerequisites makes you eligible to learn Docker:
- Knowledge of basic Unix commands as well as an understanding of how package managers work.
- Basic networking on Linux/Ubuntu.
- Knowledge regarding installing packages like Nodejs or Postgres.
- Understanding of bash works.
- Basic experience creating applications using .NET Core, Java, Node.JS, PHP, or Python.
- Understanding the operation of the Linux Kernel.
How to learn Docker?
If you have met all the prerequisites of learning Docker mentioned above then you can simply begin the journey. Learn how to easily deploy software applications and distribute the packages through various platforms over the internet using Docker.
The best thing about learning Docker is that you don’t need to spend hours after hours learning. Instead, you can only learn the basics and implement them through – lots of – practice.
Learning Docker won’t only help you build web applications and software, but it might greatly affect your overall business moderation. Here we have talked about 5 (4 paid and 1 free) online tutorials that will help you learn the popular containerization platform:
Top 5 Docker Tutorials
1. Docker for the Absolute Beginner – Hands-On – DevOps (Udemy) [Paid]
If you are an absolute beginner and want to learn Docker de novo, enrolling in this Udemy course will be the best of your interests. It will allow you to take your coding game to the next level and extract valuable skills out of it as this course will help you at every step of the way.
Never learned Docker before? No problem. This Docker for beginners course comes with some really simple and easy to grasp concepts. The course is specially crafted for System Administrators, Cloud Infrastructure Engineers, and Developers, and of course, for those who are upgrading their coding skills constantly.
Created by Mumshad Mannambeth, the whole course has 4 hours of on-demand video (30 videos) and 19 articles that you can access for a lifetime after purchasing.
The course covers all the things you need to know to boost your knowledge, and at the same time, you will learn Docker commands, networking, composing images, about its containers, including Docker Swarm, and a little about Kubernetes – the popular container orchestration system – also.
The Udemy course has a wide community that helps you practice Docker through various exercises and assignments. You will learn new skills and compete and learn along with the other students who have also enrolled in this course.
Course Highlights
- Features a clear view of Docker and containers.
- Explains the importance of Docker and how it will help you in your career.
- Covers how to execute Docker commands and use them throughout your project.
- Details how to compose images by Dockerfiles with hands-on Exercises.
- Developing Docker Compose files with hands-on exercises.
- Certificate available after the end of the course.
2. Build Local Development Environments Using Docker Containers (Coursera) [Paid]
The ‘Build Local Development Environments Using Docker Containers’ from Coursera is another exceptional course that you can enroll in, if you have experience in handling local development environments. The Docker course will help you learn about the environments docker servers work in and how they communicate with each other.
You will develop Microservices Architecture, Integrated Development Environment, and Docker skills with this course’s help. Since this course is for intermediate developers, you will have to have the basic concepts of Docker and how the containers work.
After learning this course, you will be able to develop a stable environment between multiple Docker servers. Along with that, you will learn how to avoid dependency issues and terminal problems. It’s a total of 2 hours course that also includes various exercises and assignments to test your knowledge.
Course Highlights
- Details developing a custom container.
- Guides you to develop custom development environments.
- Learn basic Docker commands.
- Develop API server using a separate development environment.
- Know how to build images for the docker server.
- Comes with a completion certificate.
3. Learning Docker (Linkedin) [FREE]
Do you want to create independent apps that run on any operating system? Then learning this Docker course on Linkedin will help you do the same. You will learn a lot of things about the database, coding, configuration files, deployment, Docker files, Docker networking, and so on to help you boost your skills and knowledge with this Docker course.
You don’t need any previous Docker experience to enroll in this course. But a prior experience of coding and software development will be necessary. After the completion of the course, you can execute your Docker commands easily. It has a total of 2h 41m video content. Around 117,376 learners have already benefited from the course.
You can share your knowledge and practice with the community from Linkedin itself. The course also features quizzes after the end of each chapter.
Course Highlights
- Teaches you in-depth cloud computing and cloud development.
- You get to learn about Docker and Docker products.
- Earn a shareable certificate on your device.
- Available on phones and tabs.
4. Containerizing a Software Application with Docker (Pluralsight)
The ‘Containerizing a Software Application with Docker’ course is available on Pluralsight for the coding enthusiasts. However, this course is more suitable for intermediate Docker learners than beginner ones as it contains more in-depth data for how to manage an application with Docker containers.
Hence, if you know about the basics of Docker, this course will help you learn about the next concepts of the subject in a more advanced way. Here, you will learn the nature of Docker images and how they interact with the containers.
The Docker course will also help you master the technique of creating Docker images and authoring them for an application using a Dockerfile.
Finishing this course will give you access to the required knowledge regarding the best techniques and solutions to implement with containerizing applications. The course is no longer than 2h 20m and comes replete with all the exercises and assignments you need to practice the art of Docker.
Course Highlights
- Teaches you how to compose software in Docker containers.
- Details authoring Docker images with Docker files.
- Features an in-depth analysis of Docker images.
- Access to enough knowledge concerning containerizing applications.
5. Introduction to Docker (Treehouse) [Paid]
‘Introduction to Docker’ is a great course for beginner-level Docker learners. If you are thinking to boost your career as a software developer, Docker can take your exploration to a completely new world.
This easy-to-grasp Docker course will teach you everything you must know about managing and deploying applications so that you can use that knowledge in your business strategies and operations.
In this Docker course, you will learn about Docker, containers, Docker networking, registries, Docker files, Docker images, and many other Docker-related concepts.
After learning the entire course, you will be able to implement your knowledge into creating and managing web applications with ease. It’s a 103-minute Development Tools Course that you can finish as per your comfort while collaborating with other learners.
Course Highlights
- A perfect way to get started with monetizing applications for beginners.
- Gives you in-depth knowledge regarding the subject and topics.
- Teaches you containerizing software and as well as Docker networking.
Official Documentation – An Important Aspect of Learning Docker
If you take the previously-mentioned Docker courses, you will learn the most fundamental information about Docker. However, to understand the concepts deeper, you will have to depend on your practicing skills. To improve your practicing ability, you need to be accustomed to certain terms and jargon used in Docker.
The official documentation will give you insight into many beneficial tools so that you can use your experience to create something valuable. As you already know how to code, you can use the official documentation to extract lots of information.
Interview Questions for Docker
Once you get Docker certification after completing a course, you will have to practice the basic interview questions for Docker so that you can showcase your skills verbally.
Of course, building projects are important but memorizing the theories is also significant.
As a certified Docker expert, you will have to find a job to be more successful in the field. Have a look at the following Docker interview questions that might come your way in a Docker-based job interview.
Question: What is Virtualization?
Answer: Virtualization is a process of creating something virtually which is related to the software-based system. This ‘something’ can include computing storage, servers, and applications.
The environments of the virtualization are based on a single physical hardware system. Virtualization is a process that you may refer to as the method of splitting one application into various sections of individual parts.
Question: What is Docker?
Answer: Docker is a platform that seamlessly containerizes an application with its database and features so that it works on any platform. Docker consists of containers that help you organize an application’s filesystem so that it runs on any environment.
Question: What is a Docker Container?
Answer: Docker containers are executed Docker images that don’t come with a specific infrastructure. It contains the applications and their dependencies and distributes a kernel with other containers to execute the application’s running process on any platform or operating system.
Question: What is containerization?
Answer: Different applications have different dependencies, and the code you use to develop the program may not be suitable for other machines. But with Docker containers, you can deploy the application and its database and bundle them together.
All the content of an application is placed within the containers so that when you run them on another system, the application execution delivers a smooth and bug-free experience. Wrapping the database of an application into a container is known as containerization.
Question: What is the Difference Between Virtualization and Containerization?
Answer: Containers related to containerization are isolated environments where applications and their dependencies are located. The inside of the container is only captured by the application, and if you make any changes within it, it won’t affect your computer or other containers.
On the other hand, in virtualization, virtual versions of the application are done on the guest computer, and it includes kernels of containers. Any changes made during the virtualization process will affect the containers.
Question: What are Docker images?
Answer: Docker images stay in Docker Hub, and these images create containers. Users can take the images from the Docker hub and use them for the same process. Without the Docker images, creating a container is nearly impossible.
Question: What do you mean by a Dockerfile?
Answer: A Dockerfile is a text file or document that comprises all the information and commands that you can use to assemble a Docker image. Alternatively, Docker can use the Docker file to create images within the Docker environment.
Question: What is the lifecycle of a Docker container?
Answer: Docker containers have the following lifecycle:
- Creation of the container.
- Launching or running.
- Pause or unpause (optional).
- Starting.
- Stopping.
- Restarting.
- Killing the container.
- (And finally) Destroying the container.
Question: What is Docker Swarm?
Answer: A Swarm refers to a native clustering for Docker that utilizes multiple hosts into a single virtual Docker host. It gives access to certain standard Docker API tools that have interaction with Docker daemon. These tools will then use swarm to scale the hosts into multiple hosts transparently.
Question: What is Docker-machine?
Answer: The Docker-machine is a utility that allows the installation of the Docker Engine on a virtual host. You can manage these hosts using Docker-machine commands.
Conclusion
Now that you know all the details about Docker, it will help you build a successful software development career. You can check out all the paid and free courses we have mentioned earlier to grab a deeper concept of Docker.
Once you gain all the necessary skills regarding the same, you will be ready to begin your advanced software developer journey.