Containers: Why is Docker preferred more?

Containers are critical to application development. They are needed to maintain consistency across all platforms within the app development life cycle and thus, are gaining more popularity among modern-day developers.

Written by TAFF Inc 05 Aug 2021

Over the years, Docker’s popularity has soared in cloud and containerized application packaging and distribution. An application developed in Docker will work on any machine and thus is highly compatible. 

Growth of Docker

Before the launch of containers, developers were using virtual machines to develop applications. The application used to work fine in their environment but it faced many problems when it reached the production environment. This prevented large companies from using micro services architecture and this is where Docker came to the rescue.

 

Docker proved to be a real game changer since the applications worked the same in both development and production environments. 

Docker has witnessed fast growth as more and more businesses migrated to Docker for their software development. 

According to the Stack overflow 2020 survey, Docker was the 2nd most loved platform after Linux. Survey also showed that Docker was the most preferred technology that developers wanted to learn in 2020. 

 

Why Docker is the preferred choice?

Docker is hotter than hot because it makes it possible to get far more apps running on the same old servers and it also makes it very easy to package and ship programs. Here’s what you need to know why docker is the preferred choice.

Compatibility

One of the biggest advantages of Docker containers is compatibility or portability. A Docker container image can easily run on any platform like AWS, Google Cloud or any other platform with the same performance. The only requirement is that the platform should support Docker. Since all the libraries and dependencies are packed together in the docker image it will run at the same speed whether deployed in Amazon EC2 or Google Cloud. 

Developers can also migrate the Docker images from localhost to cloud platform rapidly hassle-free. There is no need for the developer to setup the environment or debug issues pertaining to the environment which results in time-saving.

Better Productivity

With docker containers, developers can develop, test and deploy multiple times throughout the development cycle. Since each and every developer in the team uses the same underlying Docker platform, the application development becomes standardized. 

A standardized infrastructure enables all the team members to be on par with each other thus increasing productivity manifold. Everyone has the same level of access to fix bugs as and when necessary and also to optimize the performance of their applications. This helps in saving time that could be wasted in fixing bugs separately. 

Scalability

Since Docker is built on containerization technology, it is both scalable and flexible. It is quite simple to deploy docker images across multiple servers. It is very easy to upgrade the application using docker. All you have to do is make the changes in the docker images, test and roll out the new containers. 

Similarly, one can repair or optimize the performance of the docker image without having any downtime. Dockers support rapid application development and docker images can be deployed across servers like cloud platforms, physical servers and data servers. 

Docker makes it easier to start and terminate the application promptly thus enables flexibility.

Cost-effective

One of the main factors why large corporations love docker is it helps them save costs on the long run. So far, we’ve only talked about the technical aspects of docker but we cannot ignore the business side of it. The primary objective of any business is profitability. It is not easy for any business to migrate from existing technology to newer ones since it brings in a lot of initial disruptions and investment. 

The return on investment in docker is huge that helps developers drawdown costs and also increase profits going forward. Docker reduces the cost of infrastructure by a significant margin since it doesn’t stress on the system resources compared to a virtual machine. 

Another huge benefit of migrating to docker is that it requires a smaller workforce compared to the traditional workflow. This will reduce the wage cost for the business. 

Version control

Unlike virtual machines, Docker containers comes with the huge added benefit of built-in version control system. All the changes that you commit to the docker images are automatically version controlled during rollout. 

If there is an issue in the current version of the images, then one can easily roll back to the previous stable version with a blink of an eye. This will prevent any disruptions or downtime.

Security

Docker is not only scalable and cost-effective but also offers the highest range of security. By default, all the apps running inside the docker containers are fully segregated from one another. A docker container cannot access the data or resource of another container without proper access granted. 

Continuous testing

With Docker containers, developers can test their apps right from the beginning of development to the end of production. Docker containers are consistent throughout the development and production cycle and hence developers can use the same container throughout without any manual intervention. 

Developers can upgrade the application during the release cycle by changing the code in the existing docker image instead of developing from scratch. Docker enables testing and releasing of docker images across multiple servers simultaneously. 

 

The Bottom Line: 

Containerization technologies are here to stay. Many companies have migrated over from VMs to containers not only because they’re much faster to spin up and lighter, but also because they’re extremely easy to maintain.

Docker has been a game-changer since its release in 2013. Docker and containers give developers more of the freedom they crave, while at the same time providing ways to build business apps that respond quickly to changing business conditions.

Choose the right Docker Consulting Service for better quality and efficiency of software development and infrastructure management. Leave your worries to us; we’ve got the best & cost effective solution for you. Contact us today

Written by TAFF Inc TAFF Inc is a global leader and the fastest growing next-generation IT services provider. We create customized digital solutions that help brands in transforming their vision into innovative digital experiences. With complete customer satisfaction in mind, we are extremely dedicated to developing apps that strictly meet the business requirements and catering a wide spectrum of projects.