Docker Tutorial

Docker is a tool that simplifies the process of developing, packaging, and deploying applications. By using containers, Docker allows you to create lightweight, self-contained environments that run consistently on any system, minimising the time between writing code and deploying it into production.

Before learning Docker, it’s useful to understand containerization first.

Containerization is a lighter alternative. Instead of running a full OS for each instance, containers share the host operating system’s kernel but keep applications and their dependencies isolated. This makes containers faster to start, less resource-hungry, and portable across environments — whether on a laptop, server, or cloud.

Docker is a platform that makes working with containers simple. It lets you build, package, and run applications inside containers so they behave the same in development, testing, and production.

Docker Introduction

Let us start with an introduction to help you understand what Docker is and why it's widely used across the globe. Before starting with Docker, we first need to set up docker on our system and run a simple program to verify the installation

• Docker Introduction
• Docker Installation on Ubuntu
• Docker Architecture

Docker Commands

Docker provides a set of commands that let you build, manage, and run containers easily:

• Docker Commands
• Running Commands Inside Docker Container

Dockerfile and Images

A Dockerfile is a simple text file with instructions that tell Docker how to build an image, such as which software to install and how the app should run. A Docker Image is the packaged output of that Dockerfile, containing the app code and all dependencies. Containers are then created from these images to run the application consistently on any system.

• Syntax of Dockerfile
• What is Dockerfile?
• What is Docker Image?
• How to optimize Docker Image?
• How to Build a Web Server Docker File?

Docker Hub

Docker Hub is Docker’s official cloud-based registry where developers store, share, and download Docker images. It acts like a central library of pre-built images — for example, you can pull images of databases (MySQL, MongoDB), programming languages (Python, Node.js), or even full applications.

• What is Docker Hub?
• Log in to Docker for Pulling and Pushing Images
• Docker - Publishing Images to Docker Hub

Docker Compose

Docker Compose is a tool that lets you run and manage multiple Docker containers together as a single application. Instead of starting each container manually, you define all services (like app, database, cache) in a docker-compose.yml file with their configurations.

• Introduction to Docker Compose
• Docker Compose Tool To Run aMulti Container Applications

Docker Engine and Storage

Docker Engine, also known as Docker Daemon, is the core component of the Docker platform responsible for running and managing Docker containers. Explore this section to get all details about Docker Engine:

• Docker Storage
• Docker Data Storage
• Backup Docker Container
• Manage Volumes using CLI (command line interface)

Docker Networking

Docker Networking refers to the set of mechanisms and technologies Docker provides for communication between Docker containers, as well as between containers and the outside world. Go through this section to get more details about Docker Networking:

• Docker Networking
• Docker Ports
• Creating a Network and connecting a Container
• Connecting Two Docker Containers Over the Same Network
• Default Bridge Networking
• Create your own secure Home Network using Pi-hole and Docker

Docker Registry

After learning the Docker Networking, in this Docker tutorial, we are going to discuss Docker Registry which is refer as central repository for storing the and managing Docker image.

• Docker Registry
• Public Repositories
• Private Registries
• Creating a Private Repository and Push an Image
• Using Public Repositories To Host Docker Images

Docker Volumes

Docker Volumes are a way to store data outside of a container’s filesystem so that the data isn’t lost when the container stops or is deleted. By default, anything you create inside a container is temporary, but with volumes, you can keep files (like databases, logs, or configs) in a safe and reusable location managed by Docker.

• What is Docker Volumes
• Mounting a Volume Inside Docker Container
• Sharing data between containers using Docker volumes
• How To Use Bind Mount In Docker?
• Difference between Volumes and bind Mounts

Docker Swarm

Docker Swarm is Docker’s native tool for clustering and orchestrating multiple containers. It lets you group several Docker hosts (servers) into a single cluster, called a swarm, and run containers across them as if they were one system.

• Docker Swarm
• Docker - Security Best Practices
• How To Use Docker Security Tools To Secure Docker Container Images.

Docker Vs Kubernetes

• Docker -> creates and runs containers.
• Kubernetes -> manages and orchestrates containers at scale.

Docker

• A platform to build, package, and run applications inside lightweight containers.
• Provides Docker Engine for running containers and Docker Hub for sharing images.
• Focuses on the creation and management of individual containers.
• Best suited for single-node containerized applications or small-scale deployments.
• Includes Docker Compose for running multi-container applications, but lacks advanced orchestration features.

Kubernetes

• A container orchestration system used to manage, scale, and automate deployment of containers across multiple machines.
• Works with Docker containers (and others like containerd, CRI-O).
• Handles load balancing, service discovery, auto-scaling, rolling updates, and self-healing of containers.
• Best suited for large-scale, distributed applications running in production.
• Provides a full ecosystem for managing clusters, not just single container