Simplifying DevOps with Docker DevOps
The Docker Engine makes almost all aspects of DevOps simple, right from staging to deployment. Indeed, the concept of VMs have been around for quite some time, but Docker lets developers create portable apps capable of being replicated across deployments making the whole ALM process simple.
Benefits of DevOps for containerized applications
In DevOps developers need to integrate software development efforts with IT operations in a rapidly changing scenario while ensuring that involved costs remain low. The auditable and replicable DevOps organizational processes ensure a high working pace. It fosters an organizational culture of transparency and experimentation. DevOps lets IT teams detect inefficiencies in their operations and work and ensures that they can shift priorities promptly.
In line with such DevOps principles, containers and Docker DevOps are deeply interlinked with each other. Indeed, containers function as a primary part of many DevOps processes. Containers have the following characteristics which make them especially suitable for cross-organizational collaboration:
- They are lightweight
- You can deploy them consistently in a wide range of environments
- You can transfer containers from one team to another
The container-based development is resulting in developers and security experts being able to address issues at a comparatively preliminary development stage. This translates to fewer issues in production environment applications. Experts refer to this concept as “shift left security.”
In all, DevOps workflows provide a wide range of benefits that include:
- Better-quality software
- The software deliverables are handed over faster and display greater levels of compliance
- Helps to improve and adjust products earlier and continuously through the development process resulting in lower costs
- Promotes transparency and helps stakeholders to collaborate in the software delivery and operations process
- Keeps development costs under control, minimize security risks and helps in using allocated resources with greater effectiveness
- Plug and play functioning is smooth and easy with existing DevOps properties including open-source properties.
Docker Application Lifecycle
The lifecycle of container-based applications begins with the developer. Developers prefer using containers and Docker to nullify the friction existing between IT operations and deployments. Docker applications result in the stakeholders being agile, more productive throughout the application lifecycle besides significantly making everything faster. iSummation is your development partner in your container and Docker development needs. To convey complex parts of the Docker Application Lifecycle in an easy to understand and visual manner:
Photo Courtesy- Microsoft
Docker Architecture
The entire Docker architecture includes of following essential components:
- The Docker Daemon or the server
- The Docker Command Line Interface or the client
- Docker Registries
- Docker Objects
- Images
- Containers
- Network
- Storage
iSummation will provide you support, guidance and storage services for the full docker architecture.
Docker for Microservices model
Docker DevOps was a pioneer in the container-based model which was soon emulated by other similar container-based services. The container model itself facilitates microservices architecture by removing several key challenges of the latter including:
Task isolation
You can create individual docker containers for each specific microservice. That in turn negates the resource bloat problem. Resource bloats occur in microservices due to overprovisioned instances that stay mostly idle and working to provide only a single service. With containers, developers can run multiple containers for one specific instance.
Support multiple coding languages
Developers can link containers to run all necessary services for using programming languages, frameworks and libraries. This makes management of multiple platforms simple.
Database separation
Containers lets developers use them to act as one or more data volume hosts. They can then go ahead to reference them from other containers and microservices. Accessing the data in the manner makes the location of the original data abstract and the data container evolves into a logical mount point. At the same time, it lets the application containers access data containers, an access that can be created and destroyed while a dedicated data container keeps the data persistent.
Automate monitoring
While using Docker as a microservices model lets users gain deep insights about the internal data flow through its ability to monitor the logs with powerful tools like Sumo Logic. It also helps machine learning processes and hence makes the continuous delivery pipeline fast and saves time and in effect money.
Testing and CI / CD
The term CI/CD refers to the practices of automation of software building, testing and eventual deployment. Through automation delivery timelines go down and software reliability is enhanced across the development life cycle.
CI stands for continuous integration while CD is the acronym for continuous delivery or deployment. Whether it’s a delivery or a deployment is something that is determined by how the team pushes code modifications to production.
As might be obvious the two CI/CD processes are distinct though they are indeed interlinked. The purposes of the two processes are as follows:
- CI conducts automated build-and-test phases that helps to make code modifications to merge with the central repo reliably.
- On the other hand, CD concerns itself with creating a fast and seamless way to deliver code to end users of the software product.
With proper CI/CD steps and processes developers can ship software faster and with more efficiency.
Our best practice DevOps
iSummation provides Docker DevOps services featuring the following winning characteristics:
- Agile project management
- Shift left with CI/CD or test code early in the development process
- Build software with the right tools
- Implement automation processes
- Monitor the DevOps pipeline and applications
- Conduct observability or monitoring of all logs, traces, and metrics
- Continuously gather feedback
- Positive company culture resulting from the DevOps ethos of trust, transparency, and empathy