What is Docker?

About Docker

Docker is a software platform developed by Solomon Hykes. Its initial release was on March 20, 2013. Perhaps you’ve encountered a situation where the code executes on the developer system without any error but fails in the testing environment. Docker works to resolve this issue, but there is much more to it.

There are multiple stages of a software development lifecycle.

1. Design
2. Development
3. Deployment
4. Testing
5. Production/release

Docker comes into the picture at the deployment stage. It eases the process of deploying our applications.

Software is not just a single piece of code. It comprises subdivisions that include frontend, backend, server, databases, libraries, and environment-dependent packages. While developing any software, we must ensure that many hardware devices support it.

Let’s understand this with an example of a classical problem that existed many decades ago in the shipping industry. They were looking for a way to transport different goods that varied in size, shape, state, and requirements. They needed the plan to transfer their goods (which existed not only in solid but also in liquid state) overseas. As a solution to this, containers were invented. With the advent of containers, they only needed to worry about producing and packaging their goods. The goods, after being packaged, were carried overseas without any size issues and independent of what they contained within.

Docker works in a similar way. The containers contain the frontend, backend, databases, servers, libraries, modules, and other packages needed to run an application together as a single unit. Docker helps in deploying our application using these containers.

Docker ensures that the containers work successfully in every environment. Now, the developer only needs to focus on developing the application without worrying about the range of devices on which the application is supposed to run. Now, let’s learn containerization for technology.