Docker for Programmers

Class Duration

14 hours of live training delivered over 2-4 days to accommodate your scheduling needs

Student Prerequisites

Basic programming and Linux command-line experience.
Prior experience with Docker and/or Containerization is not required.

Target Audience

Designed for software engineers, DevOps practitioners, SREs, and solution architects who build and operate containerized services. Teams standardizing development environments with DevContainers/Codespaces, modernizing legacy apps, or orchestrating multi-service stacks will benefit, as will technical managers and L&D partners assessing enterprise-wide enablement. The course suits organizations seeking faster, reproducible releases, simplified onboarding, and a clear path from local development to automated CI/CD and production operations using Docker.

Description

This live, hands-on course equips experienced engineers to use Docker to accelerate delivery of reliable, portable software. Participants learn container fundamentals and OCI standards, then build production-grade images with multi-stage Dockerfiles and disciplined tagging. You will run and network containers, persist state with volumes, and stand up database-backed apps. We progress to multi-service orchestration with Docker Compose and Docker Stack/Swarm, plus practical workflows with VS Code DevContainers and GitHub Codespaces. Finally, you will integrate Docker into CI/CD to build, push, and run images in automated pipelines, and understand where alternatives like Podman or Kubernetes fit. The result is a repeatable, developer-friendly platform for modernizing applications and reducing release friction.

Learning Outcomes

Explain containerization, Docker’s role, orchestration concepts, container registries, and OCI standards—and where Docker fits alongside Podman, Buildah, Skopeo, CRI-O, containerd, rkt, and Kubernetes.
Design and build efficient images using Dockerfiles, layers, multi-stage builds, tags, and caching aligned with best practices.
Manage the image lifecycle: search, pull, list, remove, tag, and publish images to registries for both development and production.
Run containers in detached and interactive modes; configure entrypoints, environment variables, ports, and executables.
Implement data persistence with bind mounts, named volumes, drivers, and plugins, including durable setups for databases.
Configure networking with bridge, host, overlay, macvlan, and none drivers; connect web applications to databases securely and reliably.
Orchestrate multi-service applications using Docker Compose and Docker Stack/Swarm, from build and deploy to service/task inspection and teardown.
Streamline developer workflows with VS Code DevContainers and GitHub Codespaces, and integrate Docker into CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Azure DevOps, Jenkins) to build, push, and run containers.

Training Materials

All students receive comprehensive courseware covering all topics in the course. Courseware is distributed via GitHub in the form of documentation and extensive code samples. Students practice the topics covered through challenging hands-on lab exercises. Students will need a free, personal GitHub account to access the courseware. Student will need permission to install Docker Desktop, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio Code Extensions on their computers.

Software Requirements

Students will need a free, personal GitHub account to access the courseware. Student will need permission to install Docker Desktop, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio Code Extensions on their computers.

Training Topics

Overview of Docker & Containerization

What is Docker?
What is Containerization?
What is Orchestration?
What is a Container Registry?
Docker for Production
Docker for Development
Docker and DevContainers

Development Environment

Docker Desktop
Docker Hub
Visual Studio Code and useful Extensions
Visual Studio DevContainers
GitHub Codespaces and DevContainers

Containerization

What is am Image and a Container?
Standard Unit of Software
Application Isolation
Underlying Technology
- Namespaces
- Control Groups
- Union File Systems
Open Container Initiative
- Image Format
- Runtime Specification

Docker Image and Container

Managing Images
Listing and Removing Images
Searching for Images
Image Tags and Versions
Pulling Images
Image Caching
Run Hello World Container

Create Image with Dockerfile

Dockerfile
Build Image
Tag Image
Publish Image
Run Hello World Nginx Container

Dockerfile

Layers
Organize Layers
Base Image
Work Directory
Copy Files
Run Commands
Environment Variables
Ports
Container Executable
Multi-Stage builds with Dockerfile
Best Practices

Run Container

Run a Container in Detached Mode
Run a Container with Interactive Mode
Port Mapping
Volume Mapping
Run a Database Container
Run a Database Client Container in Interactive Mode

Docker Volumes

Data Persistence
Bind Mounts
Named Volumes
Volume Drivers
Volume Plugins
Configure a Persistent Volume for a Database Container

Docker Networking

Container Networking
Bridge Network
Host Network
Overlay Network
Macvlan Network
None Network
Network Drivers
Access a Database Container from a Client Container
Connecting a Web App Container to a Database Container

Docker Compose

What is Docker Compose?
YAML File Format
Compose File
Services
Network and Volume Configuration
Environment Variables
Compose Build
Compose Up and Down
Compose Daemon Flag
Orchestrate a Web App with Database using Docker Compose

Docker Stack

What is Docker Stack?
Docker Swarm
Docker Stack File
Deploy a Stack
List Tasks and Service in a Stack
List Stacks
Remove a Stack
Orchestrate a Web App with Database using Docker Stack

Docker and CI/CD

Continuous Integration, Delivery & Deployment
Docker in CI/CD Pipeline (choose one or two)
- GitHub Actions
- GitLab CI/CD
- Azure DevOps
- Jenkins
Build Images and Images to a Registry
Run a Container in a Pipeline

Alternatives to Docker Overview

Podman
Buildah
Skopeo
CRI-O
Containerd
rkt
Kubernetes