
Docker container technology has revolutionized the way software applications are developed, deployed, and managed in modern computing environments. It provides a lightweight, portable, and efficient way to package an application and its dependencies into a single unit called a "container." These containers encapsulate everything needed to run an application, including the code, runtime, libraries, and system tools, ensuring consistency and reproducibility across different computing environments.
Docker's containerization technology offers several key benefits, such as improved resource utilization, faster application deployment, and simplified management. Containers are isolated from each other and from the host system, ensuring security and preventing conflicts between applications. Moreover, Docker containers can be easily moved between different environments, from development to testing to production, making it an essential tool for modern software development and DevOps practices. In this introduction, we will explore the core concepts, components, and advantages of Docker container technology, highlighting its importance in the rapidly evolving world of software development and deployment.
In the context of this laboratory, but in general of the software development activities, containers provide two great advantages. First, developing with containers provide environment consistency. Containers encapsulate the entire application and its dependencies, ensuring that developers work in consistent environments. What works on a developer's machine will work the same way in other environments, such as testing and production. And second, developers can work with multiple containers simultaneously, isolating different projects with different configurations, reducing conflicts and inconsistencies.
In this document I will guide you in the process of using docker in the laboratory to develop and run your practices.