Docker Overview

Here, we will cover the Docker platform, which allows VPS and Dedicated server customers to develop, deploy, and run applications in containers. 

Docker provides tools and a platform to efficiently create, manage, and run these containers.

Docker Overview

IMPORTANT: Technical Support cannot assist with Docker issues. For assistance with Docker, customers can contact our InMotion Solutions team.

• Docker is available on all VPS and Dedicated servers, Platform I, Control Web Panel (CWP), and Cloud VPS
• Docker uses containers, which are lightweight, portable, and self-sufficient units that encapsulate all the necessary components, such as code, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings, needed to run an application.
• Build and run an image as a container
• Share images using Docker Hub
• Deploy Docker applications using multiple containers with a database
• Run applications using Docker Compose
• Docker is available to install on all VPS and Dedicated Servers

IMPORTANT: Below are some examples of what Docker is capable of, including other features.

• Container
  • Is a sandboxed process running on a host machine that is isolated from all other processes running on that host machine
  • Is a runnable instance of an image. You can create, start, stop, move, or delete a container using the Docker API or CLI
  • Can be run on local machines, virtual machines, or deployed to the cloud
  • Is portable meaning it can be run on any Operating System (OS)
  • Is isolated from other containers and runs its own software, binaries, and configurations
    NOTE: If you're familiar with chroot, then think of a container as an extended version of chroot. The filesystem comes from the image. However, a container adds additional isolation not available when using chroot.
• Image
  • A running container uses an isolated filesystem. This isolated filesystem is provided by an image, and the image must contain everything needed to run an application
  • All dependencies, configurations, scripts, binaries, etc
    environment variables, a default command to run, and other metadata

How Docker differs from a Virtual Machine (VM)

• Resource Utilization: Virtual machines require a hypervisor to emulate hardware, which consumes more resources (CPU, memory, disk space) compared to containers
  • Docker containers share the host system's kernel and do not require a separate operating system instance for each container, resulting in more efficient resource utilization
• Isolation: Virtual machines provide full isolation, with each VM having its own operating system, which makes them heavier and slower to start compared to containers
  • Docker containers share the host operating system's kernel but are isolated from each other using kernel namespaces and control groups (cgroups), providing lightweight isolation
• Portability and Scalability: Docker containers are more portable and easier to move across different environments because they encapsulate all dependencies within the container image
  • Virtual machines, on the other hand, require more effort to move between different hypervisors or cloud platforms due to differences in virtualization formats
• Speed: Docker containers typically start much faster than virtual machines since they don't need to boot an entire operating system

Installing Docker on VPS or Dedicated

• For the latest instructions to install Docker on your VPS or Dedicated Server, check the official documentation: Installing Docker on CentOS/AlmaLinux and Installing Docker on Ubuntu