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Microsoft Businesses

Microsoft Partners With Docker 104

Posted by samzenpus from the team-up dept.
rjmarvin writes Docker is teaming up with Microsoft to bring its open container technology to the next release of Windows Server. Docker Engine will work with the next release of Windows Server and images will be available in Docker Hub, which will also integrate directly into Microsoft Azure. The partnership moves Docker beyond Linux for the first time with new multi-container application capabilities for cloud and enterprise developers.
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Microsoft Partners With Docker More

Microsoft Partners With Docker

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  • What? (Score:4, Funny)

    by stephanruby ( 542433 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @04:38PM (#48154365)

    Why is Microsoft partnering with a Jeans brand? And how much did Docker pay to post a link to their content-free press release on the front page of Slashdot?

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Verdatum ( 1257828 )
      Don't you just love it when Slashdot summaries talk about some niche product without introducing the topic, just assuming everyone knows WTF it is?
      • Well there have been a number of stories about Docker on Slashdot [slashdot.org] and there are links in the story that explain what it is as well if you hadn't read the previous stories and don't know what it is.
        • But it is nice be told what realm the product deals with beyond "Microsoft", "Linux", "Server", "Cloud" and "Enterprise developers" (terms like "Container" and "application" are far too generic, and have far too many meanings within the realm of software engineering, so that means nothing to me without more context). By providing such a background, I can know without reading the article if it is something that is likely to be of interest to me. At the very least, the first linked article should broadly des

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by jbolden ( 176878 )

            Docker has lower cost per service and worse security. So the same hardware can run many many more times as many docker containers as VMs. This encourages designs that cut services into more parts. So while a typical large applications might run on 1 or 2 VMs a typical large Docker application might make use of a dozen or more containers. Docker thus plays the same role of a Linux distribution in that it designs hundreds or thousands of pieces of software to work together, but in a way that allows for sp

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by jbolden ( 176878 )

        Docker isn't niche. It is one of the core technologies for DevOps which is designing application infrastructures where IT provides a platform for in-house and integrate micro-services rather than providing monolithic applications to departments. Many PaaS systems are based on Docker particularly Helion (HP), CenturyLink, Rackspace its a big player for AWS...

        • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Of the terms you threw out, I know what IT is, and I've "heard" of Rackspace -- but only because of adverspam; I have no idea what they do.

          DevOps = never heard of it
          PaaS = no freaking clue
          Helion = no earthly idea (and why area you referencing Hewlett-Packard?)
          CenturyLink = I got nothing
          AWS = nada

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by lgw ( 121541 )

            You know this is a "news for nerds" site, right, not a place for fans of geeky TV shows?

            If you want to run some distributed service on a bunch of servers, all these acronyms should be known to you. Docker is somewhat new, and is a clever idea for a container that's lighter weight than a VM running in a hypervisor, but gives some of the same benefits: a "cooked" software install - a snapshot with everything you need installed, not a blank space where you have to run installers - and some degree of isolation

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by qpqp ( 1969898 )
              Docker is a wrapper [flockport.com] for container(s) [used to be just LXC, not anymore [infoq.com]]

              Docker is a different, lightweight layer of abstraction

              FTFY. (It's not another abstraction layer on top of VMs. I know you meant that.) The first link above is a pretty good introduction, actually.*

              so you instead create a Docker container

              You can also create (a) docker-file(s) and build it on the 1000 instances. Sometimes it is easier to distribute 1000 almost the same, but a bit different docker files than preparing a container that parses arguments.
              *contrary to the information in the article, you can run more than one service

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by lgw ( 121541 )

                Well, you run Dockers in VMs in practice, since that's what the cloud is - a place to rent VMs. So you end up with a host with one or more VMs, each with one or more Docker containers. But what I find neat is your containers don't have to care about the VMs - you can run more in larger VMs, fewer in smaller VMs, and homogenize everything that way. Which is great if you're using something like EC2 Spot to get whatever VM is cheapest that day, but now you don't care at all whether it's 1000 8-core VMs or 20

        • Re:What? (Score:5, Insightful)

          by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @05:19PM (#48154721)

          [Buzzword] isn't niche. It is one of the core technologies for [Buzzword] which is designing application infrastructures where IT provides a platform for in-house and integrate [Buzzword] rather than providing [Buzzword] to departments. Many [Buzzword] systems are based on [Buzzward] particularly [Buzzward], [Buzzward], [Buzzward] its a big player for [Buzzward]...

          • Re:What? (Score:5, Informative)

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @06:41PM (#48155257)

            Ok here is the bloated form for people like you who can't seem to operate a search engine and need every term explained to them or directly linked.

            Docker (which is an open platform for developers and sysadmins to build, ship, and run distributed applications. Consisting of Docker Engine, a portable, lightweight runtime and packaging tool, and Docker Hub, a cloud service for sharing applications and automating workflows, Docker enables apps to be quickly assembled from components and eliminates the friction between development, QA, and production environments. As a result, IT can ship faster and run the same app, unchanged, on laptops, data center VMs, and any cloud) isn't niche. It is one of the core technologies for DevOps (a concept dealing with, among other things: software development, operations, and services. It emphasizes communication, collaboration, and integration between software developers and information technology (IT) operations personnel) which is designing application infrastructures where IT provides a platform for in-house and integrate micro-services (that are small, independent processes communicating with each other using language-agnostic APIs to form complex applications) rather than providing monolithic applications (single-tiered software applications in which the user interface and data access code are combined into a single program from a single platform) to departments. Many PaaS (Platform as a Service, a category of cloud computing services that provides a computing platform and a solution stack as a service) systems are based on Docker particularly Helion [hp.com], CenturyLink [centurylink.com], Rackspace [rackspace.com] its a big player for AWS [amazon.com]...

            So much easier to understand right?

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by fnj ( 64210 )

              Thank you. That was helpful. And nobody with a login could fucking bother helping us. Mod up the AC.

              • Helpful? you kidding me? For example, what's a platform? Don't push your niche knowledge on the rest of us, nerdling.

        • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

          by kharchenko ( 303729 )

          DevOps is a niche. Get over it.

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by jbolden ( 176878 )

            DevOps is a niche. Get over it.

            Maybe. But PaaS certainly isn't.

          • DevOps is a niche. Get over it.

            Huh?
            Do you even know what "DevOps" is?

            Here, I'll tell you: Devops: IT infrastructure folks, devs, QA people, sitting in a room and working together to release software on a timely basis.

            How it works:
            1) Boss schedules a meeting
            2) Everyone shows up
            3) Work out a couple of things that'll make everyone's jobs easier.
            4) Do that.
            5) Repeat.

            That's it. Seriously. It's not cloud voodoo, it's not shirt-and-tie marketspeak, it doesn't take expensive consultants or software or anythi

            • DevOps is a niche. Get over it.

              Huh?
              Do you even know what "DevOps" is?

              Here, I'll tell you: Devops: IT infrastructure folks, devs, QA people, sitting in a room and working together to release software on a timely basis.

              How it works:
              1) Boss schedules a meeting
              2) Everyone shows up
              3) Work out a couple of things that'll make everyone's jobs easier.
              4) Do that.
              5) Repeat.

              That's it. Seriously. It's not cloud voodoo, it's not shirt-and-tie marketspeak, it doesn't take expensive consultants or software or anything.

              If that's considered "niche" in your world, I sure as fuck don't want to work at whatever miserable place you're working at.

              Wow. I've apparently been working in the wrong places for the last 15 years.

              Where do I find this place where meetings are simple and productive?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Hadlock ( 143607 )

        While I've seen some gross examples of this case in the past, Docker while being new is already a buzz word, they went 1.0 back in June or July, so one fiscal quarter after the fact is not too bleeding edge to need a description here.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by asv108 ( 141455 )
        If you don't know what Docker is by now you should probably look for a new line of work if you're in IT.
    • I assume MS is providing Windows for showing off mannequins in khakis, and Dockers is providing stylish shoes in a promotion to get people to walk away from the Apple store.

  • For once, they hit the mark (Score:4, Funny)

    by Krishnoid ( 984597 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @04:55PM (#48154513) Journal

    Our favorite company can finally put out a marketing campaign truly worthy of their name:

    "Microsoft is pants."

  • Great... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Great....now my khakis are going to have a back door so the NSA can have it's way.

  • Translation (Score:4, Funny)

    by thechemic ( 1329333 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @05:02PM (#48154591)
    Docker = Mens apparel company
    Open Container = Open and ready-to-drink beer usually found in a moving vehicle
    Docker Engine = Something that goes "vrooom" in your pants
    Images = pictures
    Docker Hub = a place to connect your pants with people
    Azure = bright blue color, often associated with a sky

    A men’s apparel company is teaming up with Microsoft to bring its ready-to-drink beer technology to the next server in the window. Penises will work with the server and pictures of everything will be available while people share experiences with each other’s pants. The penises and pants will also integrate directly into uh-hem “Blue stuff”. The partnership moves pants n shit away from Linux for the first time. With new multi-ready-to-drink beers technology clouds will consume enterprise developers.

  • Embrace. Extend. Extinguish. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by broknstrngz ( 1616893 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @05:09PM (#48154647)

    Say it isn't so.

  • Interesting, but... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by trawg ( 308495 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @05:24PM (#48154777) Homepage

    ... I'd actually rather see Docker in the user space for Windows. There are zillions of Windows applications that would benefit from Docker-isation - being able to download things off the Internet and more safely run them is something I've wanted for ages.

    There are various application sandbox things for Windows (e.g., Sandboxie [sandboxie.com]) but I haven't seen anything open source that is as reliable and commonly used as Docker seems to be.

    I think it'd be OK on the server side as well, but I'd love to be able to download nice jailed Docker versions of most Windows apps so I can run them without having to worry too much about what they're doing in my userspace.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by jbolden ( 176878 )

      Remember Docker isn't secure. Process that want to escape can escape. So you still want Docker containers running in a VM not against bare metal. There is no reason that couldn't be the case say 2020 when people are tightly tied to Azure. Docker is usually deployed in PaaS environments so it would your server user space.

      What you might want is a Windows VM (or more than one) inside your Windows that you use for Internet downloads.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by trawg ( 308495 )

        What you might want is a Windows VM (or more than one) inside your Windows that you use for Internet downloads.

        At the moment I just run separate VMs, but it's a bit heavyweight.

        Remember Docker isn't secure. Process that want to escape can escape.

        Hmm, that seems counter to the Docker security model [docker.com] - the processes are not supposed to be able to get out of their container ... or so it claims. How do Docker processes escape?

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by jbolden ( 176878 )

          I'm not a security expert, I'm parroting so with that disclaimer YMMV.

          There are many parts of the Linux kernel that don't understand the UID/GID on containers. So essentially you pass a UID to LXC and run some kernel code you shouldn't have have access to. This is being cleaned up but there are still hundreds of holes. Some of these holes are well known and document though not yet fixed. The way it is being fixed is by trying to limit some of the system calls but that of course breaks compatibility.

          LXC

  • I've had trouble thinking of Docker as anything but a, fairly thin, wrapper to LXC. When Docker announced a move to support BSD, that made sense, because of the existence of jails. LXC and jails obviously have a fair bit of over-lapping functionality, so supporting the BSDs isn't a huge leap...but Windows? Microsoft must have a team well into work on containerization, otherwise this new partnership would have to implement everything from scratch. And given the mayhem that cgroups brought to Linux, I can't s

  • What is Docker and why should you care? (Score:5, Informative)

    by steveha ( 103154 ) on Wednesday October 15, 2014 @06:47PM (#48155305) Homepage

    Docker is sort of an extremely lightweight virtual machines system.

    Docker organizes software into "containers". Each container has a complete set of libraries and files, and each container is isolated from the rest of the system. Thus if you need a specific and touchy set of libraries to run Software X, and you need a different specific and touchy set of libraries to run Software Y, you can simply make two containers and run them side by side.

    As I understand it, Docker container images use a "snapshots" system to store changes; so the two containers for Software X and Software Y will together be much smaller than two VM images would be.

    Using Docker, if developers make a server-side application, they can then hand a container over to production for deployment, and everyone can be confident that the application will run the same in production as it ran in development. (Of course it would still be possible to break things, for example by having different data in the production database compared to the dev test database.) Or, developers could run containers on their laptops and expect them to run the same as on the servers in the office.

    Unlike VMs, the Docker containers don't run their own kernels. So you can't run a Linux server with Docker that in turn runs OpenBSD in a container.

    As I understand it, many people use Docker to run a single process per container. The web server in one container, the email server in another, the SSH server in another, etc. One use case: if you have a web site hosted in the cloud, and the Slashdot effect starts slamming on the web site, the cloud hosting service could spin up another 500 instances of the web site (500 fresh instances of the Docker container, each container running a single process, the web server).

    I talked to an expert sysadmin, and he told me "This is the future." I'm going to set up a Docker server at home and learn my way around it.

    https://www.docker.com/whatisdocker/ [docker.com]

    My reading of the press release is that Microsoft is going to (a) implement the Docker APIs for Windows, so that Windows server applications can be container-ized; and (b) add the ability to run Linux containers. The latter is not implausible; Windows NT has always had so-called "personalities" and Posix has been available as a personality for decades.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_kernel#NT_kernel [wikipedia.org]

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by jbolden ( 176878 )

      You sound like you are interested.

      If I can make a suggestion: http://www.activestate.com/sta... [activestate.com] is a terrific way for you to start playing with containers. It is a mini PaaS that runs in a VM based on Docker containers and it is free for small usages.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by jrbrtsn ( 103896 )

      "Windows NT has always had so-called "personalities" and Posix has been available as a personality for decades"

      Which is why everyone who actually uses Posix on Windows downloads Cygwin. Oh, wait a minute....

  • How soon will it be before Microsoft 'invents' its own version of Docker and starts charging Open Docker for using Microsoft patented technology?
  • Would it not have made more sense to port wine to windows and make portable apps in the form of a WINEPREFIX?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jbolden ( 176878 )

      Wine doesn't add anything here. These servers have license for the Microsoft binaries. They don't need to translate Windows API calls into POSIX calls you can just execute against the Windows API.

      • No ofcourse not. I was more thinking of the WINEPREFIX part ... And perhaps greater legacy win16/win32 compatibility than that found in Windows.

  • Well, whatever Docker did that was good, MS is going to ruin it.

  • When I first heard about Docker, it looked to me like it was a set of tools to simplify the setup and management of chroots. But this announcement makes it look like there may be more to it. Can someone explain to me the difference between a docker container and a chroot?

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