Docker Swarm
The Docker Swarm cluster manager offers pretty much what Kubernetes offers , including clustering , scheduling , and integration capabilities that let developers build and ship multi-container / multi-host distributed applications . It includes all of the necessary scaling and management for container-based systems .
But Docker Swarm is more of a product than it is a standard , which is perhaps what Docker intends . While Docker may be the keeper of the core , the value-added technology that you need to get containers into production will likely remain within the domain and control of the vendor who invented them .
CoreOS Tectonic
CoreOS has a play here as well . Its Tectonic cluster manager , essentially Kubernetes as a service , is available on Amazon Web Services or as an on-premises product . Tectonic is compatible with both the Docker and CoreOS Rocket containers , as well as all of the container cluster managers listed above .
Apache Mesos
Finally , the open source Apache Mesos cluster manager is known for stability , and you can use it with Docker to provide scheduling and fault-tolerance . Mesos uses a Web user interface for its cluster management dashboard , and is commonly used in larger container installations , where scalability can ’ t be compromised .
Some Container Technologies Will Remain Proprietary
In the future , it is likely that the container management , security , and storage markets will be as big as the container space . However , these products are unlikely to be built on open standards . Yes , there will be a few open source products . But I suspect they will not get the same level of support as the proprietary , for-profit products , which will focus more on the deeper problems around deploying , securing , and managing containers .
I am not implying that open standards and related products will not have any role to play . Some will exist at the core of Docker and containers . But the real solutions will be proprietary , and that is actually not a bad thing .
Why Standards Will Not Save You
To look at the value of container standards , it is important to consider when it is necessary to be open — and when it is okay not to be open . Frankly , standards will not save you as you move applications to containers , and I ’ m not sure they ever did in most areas of software .
So , what should your container standards strategy be ? First , understand that , to the extent that container standards will make the most difference at the core . The format and the runtime should all be standardized , and it appears that both Docker and CoreOS are heading in that direction with common container standards . That is the good news .
WINTER 2017 | THE DOPPLER | 13