Docker is an industry leading, open source containerisation technology that allows developers to build, manage and secure applications without worrying about infrastructure dependencies or vendor lock in.
What is containerisation?
Containerisation is a method for efficiently deploying applications – with the overall aim being to enable applications to run anywhere on any machine. The concept is inspired by the shipping industry, where the introduction of standardised shipping containers and handling equipment simplified the transportation of everything from coffee beans to clothing. Goods can now be loaded, transferred, shipped over distance and then unloaded efficiently using a single process.
Software containerisation uses these same underlying principles. A container is a standardised structure which can store and run any application, and can be transported from server to server. Each application is stored within its own container, which holds an image of all components required for it to run – the code, settings, systems tools and libraries etc. This creates an isolated operating environment which can run on any server.
How can I use Docker at Bytemark?
To make it even quicker to get started with Docker, we’ve added Docker on Debian 9 as an imaging option to our server creation screen in the Bytemark Panel.