Docker Use Cases: Most Common Ways to Use Docker

Have you ever wondered what Docker is and why so many people use it? Or how it helps make apps work the same way on any computer? Let us find out how Docker makes life easier for developers and businesses. It is easier than you think, and once you understand it, you will get to know why it is so popular.

In this article, we will learn what the main uses of Docker are, with its real-world applications in detail.

Table of Contents:

• What is Docker?
• What is Docker Used For?
• Docker Use Cases for Businesses
• Top Companies Using Docker
• What are Microservices?
• What are Containers?
• Benefits of Using Docker
• When Not to Use Docker?
• Container Management System
• Virtual Machines vs Docker
• Conclusion

What is Docker?

Docker is an open-source platform that is used to create, run, and manage applications inside containers. Through the use of containers, your app will always run the same, no matter where it is deployed.

Docker mainly works in three main steps. First, developers create a special file called a Dockerfile and use it to build an image. This image contains the app and everything it needs to run. Next, the image is uploaded to a place called a registry, like Docker Hub, where it can be stored and shared. Finally, users can download this image from the registry and run it as a container on their computer. 

What is Docker Used For?

There is a wide range of uses for Docker. Some of them are discussed below:

1. Developing Applications

Docker makes it easy for developers to set up development very quickly. It also shares the same environment with teammates. It solves the problem of working on one machine and not on another machine. It is useful as you can share the same setup with your teammates, which means it will solve the problem of “it works on my laptop but not on yours.”

For example, you can give your app in a Docker container to someone else, and they can run it with just one command.

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2. Testing Software

Docker is used to test applications in a clean and isolated environment, which is great for making sure that your app works in different environments. It is useful because you don’t have to install different versions of tools or languages on your computer, you can just use containers for it.

For example, you can test the app in different environments like Python 3.8 and Python 3.11, without installing them on your machine.

3. Running Applications in Production

After an app is ready for production, it has to run on real servers, Docker makes this smooth and reliable. It is widely used for the deployment of the application to the servers, like on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and so on. 

For example, the app in a container can be run across hundreds of servers easily and consistently.

4. Microservices Architecture

Docker is widely known for breaking the application into smaller independent units called microservices, where each part of the application runs in its own container. It is useful because each service runs in its own container, so you can build and update them separately.

For example, a shopping website can have separate containers for frontend, backend, payment, and database services.

5. CI/CD Pipelines (DevOps)

CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery, which is mainly used for deployment. It automatically builds, tests, and deploys the applications, and gives applications a consistent environment, which helps in speeding up the build and deployment process. 

For example, every time you push your code, Docker builds a container and tests it automatically.

6. Running Legacy Apps Anywhere

For the old application, Docker can wrap an old application into a container and run it on a modern system without any changes. For this, you don’t have to rewrite or update the old app, you just have to run it in Docker.

For example, an old Java application from 2010 can run inside a Docker container even on a new Mac or cloud server.

7. Running Multiple Apps Side-by-Side

You can run multiple containers at once without interfering with each other. Each app runs in its own safe space, so there are no conflicts. This is useful when you are working on so many projects at the same time.

For example, you can run a Django app with PostgreSQL and a React app with MongoDB on the same machine 

Note: In many cases, legacy apps can run in Docker containers with minimal or no changes, depending on system dependencies.

8. Creating Lightweight Virtual Environments

Docker helps you to create small and fast environments to run your apps, like mini-computers. Unlike virtual machines, which are big and slow to start, Docker containers are light, start in seconds, use less memory and space, and you don’t need a full operating system for it.

For example, instead of running Ubuntu, you can use a Docker container with only the tools you need.

9. Simplifying Environment Setup

It is hard for the developers to set up all the right tools, libraries, and software versions. Docker makes it easy by using a Dockerfile, which contains step-by-step instructions to set up everything your app needs, and you can set everything up with just one command.

For example, instead of manually installing software, just run docker build, and your complete environment is ready in minutes.

10. Trying New Tools Without Risk

Docker is great for trying out new tools, frameworks, or databases without affecting your system, as you can run any software in an isolated container and remove it when you are done. This allows you to explore new things without breaking your computer setup.

For example, you can test any new programming language inside a container without installing it directly on your machine.

Docker Use Cases for Businesses

Docker is not only for developers or tech companies. It has many useful cases, some of which are:

• Healthcare: Hospitals use Docker to run apps that manage patient records, appointments, and other services. For example, HealthCare.gov.

• Banking & Finance: Banks use Docker to update old systems and create new apps for payments and fraud detection. For example, Goldman Sachs.

• Education: Schools and many learning platforms use Docker for creating student dashboards that can be created in separate containers. For example, Codecademy.

• Media & Entertainment: Media and entertainment companies use Docker to automate video editing, streaming, or publishing content, which helps media companies work faster. For example, Spotify.

• Automotive Industry: Car companies use Docker for navigation and infotainment and to train AI models. For example, Tesla.

• Travel & Hospitality: Traveling apps use Docker for booking systems, search tools, and customer apps, also they are also used to test new features without affecting the live website. For example, Skyscanner.

• E-commerce: E-commerce uses Docker to run things like product pages, shopping carts, and payment systems. Each part runs in its own container, so updating any one module will not affect the whole site. For example, EcoMart.

Top Companies Using Docker

Many of the top companies use Docker in their performance. Some of them are:

• Netflix: Netflix uses Docker to build and deploy its microservices architecture. Each of its features, like playback, user profiles, and so on, runs on its container.
• Google: When Google created Kubernetes, it supported and ran Docker containers, which manage millions of containers per week
• Amazon (AWS): Amazon offers Docker support through Amazon ECS and EKS, which makes the cloud applications portable and scalable.
• Adobe: Adobe uses Docker to run parts of its document services and to streamline testing and deployment.
• Spotify: Spotify runs its backend services in Docker containers for easy scaling based on music traffic.

What are Microservices? 

Microservices are a way to develop an application where the application is broken down into small, independent parts, called services. Each part of the application has its specific job and can run on its own. These independent parts interact with each other to form a complete application. 

The main key idea of using it is that instead of creating a whole program called monolithic, you can make small programs called microservices that interact with each other to form a complete application.

For example, 

Imagine an e-commerce application. In a monolithic app, everything is embedded in a single program, like user login, shopping cart, payment system, order history, and so on. 

But in a microservices-based application, each program, like ProductService, UserService, CartService, PaymentService, and so on, has its own separate service like:

• Has its own database
• Runs independently
• Can be updated or scaled separately

What are Containers? 

A container is a lightweight and separate software that has the application code, libraries, configuration files, and system settings, i.e., it contains everything that your application needs to run. 

Containers solve the problem of working on my machine, but not on yours. This happens because different machines have:

• Different operating systems
• Different library versions
• Missing software

Containers solve this problem by embedding everything your app needs into one bundle.

Benefits of Using Docker

There are many different advantages of using Docker. Some of them are discussed below:

1. Portability: Docker containers run the same on every machine, whether it is a laptop, a test server, or a cloud platform.

2. Consistency Across Environments: Docker creates the same environment for development, testing, and production by reducing the bugs that are caused by different OS versions or missing libraries.

3. Fast and Easy Deployment: You can run the entire application with a few commands by the use of Docker, which reduces the deployment time.

4. Lightweight & Fast: Docker containers use very little memory as compared to virtual machines, which means more containers can run on the same hardware.

5.  Isolation & Security: Each container is isolated from other programs, meaning if one of them gets damaged, it will not affect the other.

When Not to Use Docker?

Do not use Docker:

• For simple desktop applications, i.e., if your app only runs on one computer, has no dependencies, and does not need to scale.
• When You Need a Full Operating System because Docker shares the host system’s kernel, so it is not suitable for apps that need a full OS with its own kernel.
• For applications that need a heavy GUI, because Docker does not handle graphical user interfaces hence running apps like video editors or Photoshop inside a container will be complex and inefficient.
• When you have limited internet or storage because Docker pulls container images from the internet and stores them locally, which requires storage and bandwidth.
• If you have strict security requirements, because containers share the host OS kernel so isolating them perfectly is hard. For example, banks.

Note: With the right setup and tools, Docker can be made secure by using tools like gVisor helps containers keep the system isolated from the host machine, so they don’t affect each other or the host machine

Container Management System

A Container Management System is a tool that helps you run, organize, and control containers when you have a lot of them. 

For example, your app has a front-end, a back-end, and a database. You put each part in a separate container. Then you have to

• Start all parts together
• Make them talk to each other
• Keep an eye on them
• Restart them if one crashes

The tool that does all this is called a Container Management System.

Some popular Container Management Systems are Kubernetes, Amazon ECS, OpenShift, Docker Swarm, and so on.

Virtual Machines vs Docker

A VM is like a full computer inside your real computer. It has its own operating system and runs independently. For example, running Windows on a Mac.

While a Docker container is a lightweight package that holds your app and everything it needs to run, it shares the main operating system of the computer. For example, running a web app inside a Docker container on your laptop, and the same container runs exactly the same on a cloud server.

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Conclusion

From the above article, we conclude that Docker makes it easy to build, test, and run apps anywhere without worrying about setup issues. It helps break big apps into smaller parts and supports fast updates through DevOps. Many companies use Docker because it saves time and works the same on every system. But it is not the best choice for apps that have complex designs or the ones that need a full operating system. As your app grows, tools like Kubernetes can help manage everything. Overall, Docker is a smart and helpful tool for today’s developers.

For more information, you can refer to our Docker Course.

Docker Use Cases: Most Common Ways to Use Docker – FAQs