DevOps vs Docker

Question

I'm curious as to how Docker fits into the CI/CD process. I realize that using containers allows you to focus on code rather than dependencies and the environment. However, once you've checked in your code, you can anticipate tools like TeamCity, Jenkins, or Bamboo to handle integration builds, integration tests/unit tests, and deployment to target servers (after approvals), where the generated code will execute in the same Docker container image. Docker, on the other hand, is absent from the CI/CD cycle in all of the examples above, albeit it does come into play when server execution occurs. So, why do I see it listed as one of the DevOps requirements in articles? I may be mistaken, as I am not a DevOps expert; do let me know.

Answer 1

Docker is just another tool that DevOps Engineers, DevOps practitioners, or whatever you want to call them, have at their disposal. Docker wraps code and its dependencies into a single unit (a container) that may operate everywhere the Docker engine is installed. What is the benefit of this? For a variety of reasons, but specifically in terms of CI/CD, it can assist Engineers in separating Configuration from Code, reducing the amount of time spent on dependency management, and scaling (with the help of some other tools of course). The list could go on and on.

Having said that, there is a lot you can do to incorporate Docker into your CI/CD pipelines. I believe that knowing what Docker is and what it can achieve is more important than reading a guide on "how to utilise Docker in your CI/CD." While there are certain similar patterns, it all depends on the problem(s) you're trying to address, and some patterns may or may not apply to a specific use case.