[Swlug] Fwd: Docker, containers, oh my!

[Neil Greenwood]

Sorry, sent my reply with the wrong From address.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Neil Greenwood <gneel42 at gmail.com>
Date: 21 April 2017 at 12:20
Subject: Re: [Swlug] Docker, containers, oh my!
To: Matt Willsher <matt at monki.org.uk>, South Wales Linux User Group <
swlug at mailman.lug.org.uk>


We're starting to use Docker in AWS (what they call ECS), in order to
reduce our monthly spend with AWS. But we're finding problems with the ECS
product still being quite immature - AWS support are responsive, but cannot
always offer help other than "we're working on that feature". The basics
work, but trying to co-ordinate multiple instances to scale the load and
connecting different services running on different containers is
troublesome.

We started in a good place, since our product is already built on a
micro-service architecture. The ECS offering is currently good enough for a
wider proof-of-concept trial we're starting now, but we're seriously
considering using Kubernetes in AWS (we're tied into AWS fairly tight) for
the orchestration and scaling features.



Neil.

On 21 April 2017 at 10:53, Matt Willsher via Swlug <swlug at mailman.lug.org.uk
> wrote:

> Thanks for the feedback guys.
>
> David - when you say in hindsight you chose the wrong technology with LXC,
> what do you mean?
>
> My reasons for the original questions are that, in looking for a new role,
> I’m finding Docker mentioned a lot and it gives me some pause. I don’t
> actually think there is a lot wrong with the 'traditional’ packaging apps
> into an OS native format, using config management to set up a VM and deploy
> into that. I can see the theoretical benefits of Docker, but the extra
> overhead and complexity, security and storage matters seem like a time
> sink.
>
> I’ve dabbled with Docker in dev situations and built up a reasonably
> complex compose file that set up some home media components. I can see the
> appeal for large-scale environments where components need to be regularly
> updated as part of a scheduled release cycle, but issues around patching of
> the base containers and general workflow seemed rather nebulous.
> Abstracting away the underlying platform is appealing - all that’s needed
> in the runtime environment is a stock Docker OS (CoreOS, Atomic or Ubuntu
> seem the best candidates at the moment, but ), though the announcement of
> Dockers base OS is an interesting one.
>
> I wonder if rkt will ultimately be the tooling of choice outside dev - it
> does away with the union filesystem, is more aligned to Kubernetes
> terminology, leverages other projects rather been an entirely
> self-contained eco-system as Docker is becoming. Though of course, they’ll
> recommend you run it on CoreOS :)
>
> I  think https://thehftguy.com/2017/02/23/docker-in-production-an-update/ and
> the comments there after raise a lot of good points.
>
>
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 20 Apr 2017, at 10:27, David Goodwin via Swlug <
> swlug at mailman.lug.org.uk> wrote:
>
> At $job-1 I built a hosting platform for (mostly) wordpress sites using
> LXC containers (with hindsight I chose the wrong technology - but at the
> time LXC seemed more mature with support for e.g. privilege separation).
>
> I think it's hosting about 2500 sites now - spread over about 20 VMs.
>
> So - they are "production ready".
>
>
> But it does depend on the application(s). Deploying something like a
> standalone Wordpress site (minimal interdependencies) is quite different
> from a large bespoke application.
>
>
> Container management/orchestration is still something that's being worked
> on. Kubernetes looks very promising.
>
>
> Do you use it and if so to what degree? Has it made your liked easier?
>
>
>
> Using it - Yes. But not entirely.
>
> I makes it easier to deploy the application to live - as there's no "build
> a VM, install stuff onto it" stage...
>
>
> David.
>
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