What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Docker on CentOS is creating Dockerfiles and deploying them with GitLab pipeline, so my major use case is basically to deploy everything from code and make it containerized. That is my main objective on all platforms, and that is why I am using Docker on CentOS.
Using Docker on CentOS with my GitLab pipeline helps my team by addressing the challenge of code not working on multiple platforms, and Docker on CentOS has basically helped us to work on multiple platforms with the same code. Integration with the GitLab pipeline is also very easy, and that is how it works and solved our challenges.
I have nothing else to add about my main use case or how Docker on CentOS fits into my workflow, as this is the main use case for which we have used this.
How has it helped my organization?
Docker on CentOS has positively impacted my organization because there are a lot of security features we need to cater to, and we need to make our application more secure in ways that security features will work on multiple platforms. Although I don't have specific metrics right now, when making a container and images of any file, we need to think about how to secure whatever we are keeping inside those images, and it always keeps us secure, which is the basic and major outcome we want with using Docker on CentOS.
Docker on CentOS has helped me address security concerns by allowing setup of AppArmor integration very easily, especially because CentOS commonly uses FirewallD. We also integrate our own security tool like Wazuh, which is open-source, and when we integrated all those security features, it works great.
What is most valuable?
The best feature that Docker on CentOS offers in my experience is that the main containerization of the applications can be done with just one file. That is the best feature.
The simplicity of using just one file for containerization impacts my daily work and my team's productivity by increasing productivity because all the environments are getting deployed in one go with this one container Dockerfile. That is how it increased productivity, as otherwise, we would need to write several files for deploying in multiple platforms or multiple environments, and that is how it is giving us a better, useful case to implement.
I would like to add that Docker on CentOS supports bridge networks and port mapping, and the NAT functionality is also working very well. From a security point of view, since CentOS commonly uses FirewallD, these rules can interact with Docker's networking rules, and that is how it helps us in that case.
What needs improvement?
Docker on CentOS can be improved by implementing a few security measures to not expose our keys and secrets in a better manner. If we are using Docker Compose or anything else, our security should not get hampered, and that is the only improvement I think is needed. Other than that, it is good.
In terms of needed improvements around secrets management, I think nowadays AI has come into play, and AI integration is also on my mind. Keeping security as a major concern with AI, we need to think more about how to integrate AI while preserving our secrets and ensuring that they are not exposed to the world, so that hackers or attackers cannot use those secrets when accessing our containers or attempting to hack our images. That is the area where we can think more and where we could improve.
I chose eight out of ten because only security, secret management, and AI integration are the points for which I just cut two points. That is the only thing that kept it from being a ten for me.
I believe we have covered most of the improvements needed for Docker on CentOS, and I do not think there are any others to add.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Docker on CentOS for six to seven years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
While Docker on CentOS does not directly address scalability, it helps from a manageability point of view, as all our code is managed by this. That is how it has helped us, not in terms of scalability perspective.
How are customer service and support?
The documentation and community support for Docker on CentOS are helpful, as I have found it beneficial.
How was the initial setup?
The integration process of Docker on CentOS with my existing tools and systems is easy, as we are using Kubernetes and a monitoring tool like Grafana, along with GitLab. The integration of Docker on CentOS is very easy, especially when we started with the integration process.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Docker on CentOS an eight out of ten.
Regarding Docker on CentOS's AI capabilities, as far as security and governance are concerned, Docker on CentOS is doing its part. However, as a company, we need to secure our applications when using images built on Docker on CentOS, and most major security responsibilities we are keeping on our side, not relying too much on Docker on CentOS's governance and security. That is why I would say it is good, but from a security point of view, we are keeping 100% ownership on our company side, not on Docker on CentOS side.
When it comes to Docker on CentOS's AI capabilities, I think its accuracy and reliability of output are good, as its accuracy and reliability totally depend on the prompts we provide. Therefore, the more information we give to the AI, the more accurate and closer to our needs the answers will be.
Docker on CentOS is deployed in my organization using both public and private clouds, as we are basically hybrid.
We are using Hetzner and AWS as our cloud providers.
I purchased Docker on CentOS through the AWS Marketplace.
Docker on CentOS handles updates and maintenance in my organization straightforwardly. We have Renovate looking for all available updates, and when it finds any, it automatically updates everything on our GitLab by raising a merge request for us. We then know about available updates, and once we merge those requests, everything gets updated by default, making it an automated process without any challenges so far.
The learning curve for new users adopting Docker on CentOS in my organization is smooth, as new users easily adapt to it. Whenever someone new joins, we provide knowledge transfer for two weeks, covering everything about the tools we use, including Docker on CentOS, and that is good.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.