Graphical management solutions for Docker

Starter Tools

In professional IT infrastructures, Docker-based container solutions are becoming increasingly popular compared with traditional virtualization setups. The advantages that Docker containers offer are obvious: By sharing the host system's kernel (instead of each instance requiring a complete operating system), containers are compact and easier to configure compared with typical virtual machines. Moreover, container solutions offer significantly better scaling than virtual machines. They are easy to set up thanks to the encapsulated images; multiple Docker applications can run simultaneously on a single operating system instance. Encapsulating the individual containers also makes it possible to allocate host system resources to them individually.

However, as container systems become more complex, they also become more difficult to manage. Graphical interfaces for Docker containers promise to simplify the handling of these systems, offering the benefits of Docker directly to users in small organizations and even to home users who are not afraid to take the plunge. In this article, I take a closer look at the most important graphical tools for Docker management.

Requirements

For graphical front ends to support flexible Docker container management, they need to offer some additional functions besides plain vanilla Docker system management. Ideally, the front end will be a web-based application, so you can use it on remote machines, too. You will also want the front end to provide statistical information that helps you allocate system resources in a granular way. This information can help with troubleshooting tasks, as well, assuming the logfiles can be viewed on the front end. Also, you need an overview of all the existing containers, regardless of their current operating status.