Docker Projects : 8 Mini Projects to Excel

Here are 8 diverse Docker projects ranging from development environments to practical applications:

Project 1: Isolated Development Environment

Requirement: Create a consistent, replicable development environment that eliminates cross-platform compatibility issues.
Summary: Package all the tools, libraries, and configurations needed for your project into a Docker container, making setup and collaboration seamless.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- Code editor or IDE (e.g., VS Code, PyCharm)
- Language-specific frameworks/tools (e.g., Node.js/npm, Python/pip, Ruby/bundler)
High-Level Steps:
1. Create Dockerfile: Define the base operating system image (e.g., Ubuntu, Alpine), then list steps to install all required tools, frameworks, and libraries. Copy your project code into the image.
2. Build Image: Use the docker build command to create a reusable image from your Dockerfile.
3. Run Container: Execute docker run to launch a container from your image. Mount your project directory into the container for seamless code synchronization.

Requirement: Serve a website or API with minimal resource overhead and easy deployment.
Summary: Package a lightweight web server like Nginx or Apache into a Docker container for rapid deployment on any supporting machine.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- Nginx or Apache
High-Level Steps:
1. Create Dockerfile: Start with a lean base image (e.g., Alpine Linux). Install Nginx or Apache, and copy your website files or API code into the designated locations.
2. Build Image: Use docker build to create the web server image.
3. Run Container: Start the container with docker run, exposing the necessary ports (e.g., 80 for HTTP or 443 for HTTPS).

Requirement: Manage a self-hosted WordPress instance for flexible control and customization.
Summary: Bundle WordPress and a MySQL database into interconnected Docker containers, providing a sandboxed blog environment.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- Docker Compose (for managing multiple containers)
- Official WordPress image
- Official MySQL image
High-Level Steps:
1. Create Docker Compose File: Create a docker-compose.yml file. Define services for your WordPress container and MySQL container, configuring volumes for persistent data and linking them together.
2. Setup: Set up WordPress environment variables in the compose file to connect WordPress to your database.
3. Run: Use docker-compose up -d to download images if needed, and start the containers.

Requirement: Streamline the software delivery process by automating the building, testing, and deployment of your application.
Summary: Integrate Docker with a CI/CD tool to package each step of the delivery process into containers, ensuring consistency and reliability.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- CI/CD Tool (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions)
- Version Control System (e.g., Git)
High-Level Steps:
1. Pipeline Configuration: Set up stages within your CI/CD tool:
  - Build (create a Docker image of your application)
  - Test (run unit and integration tests within a container)
  - Deploy (push the image to a registry, deploy to a target environment)
2. Connect to Version Control: Configure the pipeline to trigger upon changes to your code repository.

Requirement: Create scheduled, dependable backups of a database to safeguard critical data.
Summary: Design a Docker container that executes database backup procedures. It might also include compression and the transfer of backups to remote storage for added security.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- Database image (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, etc.)
- Scheduling tool (e.g., cron) installed within the container
- Optional: Cloud storage integration tools (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage)
High-Level Steps:
1. Create Dockerfile: Begin with a base image and install the required database tools (e.g., mysqldump, pg_dump). Include any cloud storage tools if you plan to use them.
2. Backup Script: Write a script to perform the database backup. Include options for compression and uploading to cloud storage if desired.
3. Schedule Backups: Add a cron job within the container to execute the backup script at the desired intervals (e.g., daily, weekly).
4. Manage Storage: Consider mounting a volume to the container to persist backups, or configure the script to directly send them to remote storage.

Requirement: Gain visual insight into system health, application performance and resource usage.
Summary: Deploy a monitoring stack within Docker containers, providing centralized visibility and easier updates.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- Monitoring stack:
  - Data collection: Prometheus, Telegraf, collectd
  - Visualization: Grafana
  - Optional: Alerting (e.g., Alertmanager)
High-Level Steps:
1. Choose & Configure Stack: Select and customize your monitoring solution. Many have pre-built Docker images.
2. Data Persistence: Use volumes or bind mounts to ensure data collected by your monitoring tools persists across container restarts.
3. Target Configuration: Set up your monitoring tool to gather metrics from your other Docker containers, the host system, or external services.
4. Dashboard Creation: Design dashboards in Grafana (or your chosen tool) to effectively visualize the collected metrics.

Requirement: Run an outdated application with incompatible dependencies on modern systems.
Summary: Encapsulate an old application and its specific libraries within a Docker container to preserve functionality without affecting the host system.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
High-Level Steps:
1. Identify Base Image: Choose an older OS distribution (e.g., Ubuntu 14.04, CentOS 6) that matches the legacy application’s original environment.
2. Install Dependencies
  - Painstakingly determine the exact versions of libraries and tools the legacy app needs. Install them within the Dockerfile
3. Package Application: Copy the application’s binaries and any configuration files into the image.
4. Exposing and Testing: Configure necessary network ports and thoroughly test the containerized application to ensure it works as intended.

Requirement: Deploy a scalable application composed of interacting smaller services.
Summary: Break down a complex application into self-contained units (microservices), each within its own Docker container for easier management and updates.
Tools & Services:
- Docker
- Orchestration tool (Docker Swarm, Kubernetes)
- Service discovery tools (Consul, etcd)
- API Gateway (optional, for managing external access)
High-Level Steps:
1. Application Decomposition: Break the application into logical microservices based on functionality.
2. Containerize Microservices: Create Dockerfiles for each service, installing dependencies and packaging code.
3. Orchestration Configuration: Define configuration files for your orchestration tool, specifying how containers interlink, service discovery, and scaling rules.
4. Deployment & Communication: Deploy the service stack using the orchestration tool. Ensure services can communicate (via networking, service discovery).