Docker

An open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers.

Docker is an open-source platform that automates the deployment of applications inside lightweight, portable containers. A Docker container packages an application with all of its dependencies, libraries, and configuration files, ensuring consistent behavior across development, testing, and production environments.

Docker uses a client-server architecture. The Docker daemon manages containers, while the Docker CLI provides commands to build images, run containers, and manage networks and volumes. Docker images are defined by Dockerfiles and stored in registries like Docker Hub or private registries. Docker Compose allows defining and running multi-container applications.

While serverless platforms abstract away container management, Docker remains important in the broader API ecosystem. It is used to run backend services that sit behind API gateways, to create consistent development environments, and to package applications for deployment to container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Many serverless platforms, including AWS Lambda, support container images as a deployment format.