Containers have become an elegant way to virtualize system level services in the recent past. Coupled with microservices which provide well-bounded, self-contained, application services, containers bring a revolutionary shift to the way solutions are built and deployed on computer infrastructure. Docker has been a favorite way to build containers and container clusters on open source. The ability to pack hundreds or even thousands of these containers into a physical machine provides a great way to deploy services in an optimal and scalable fashion. The ability to use different operating systems in each of the containers (such as, Linux, Windows) along with any needed functionality packed together is a convenience that contributes to building modular systems. Microsoft Windows and Azure cloud platforms have matured over time and plays a critical role in building systems addressing the needs of digital transformation currently underway in enterprise IT systems across the world. Whether it is the enterprise application that handles millions (or billions) of mobile users or one that handles zillions of IoT sensors (connected cars, refrigerators, or whatever you have), it can now be built using Windows as a platform using the containers model and hosted on Azure cloud to provide the necessary scale.

Deployment and frequent releases is another area which has been revolutionized by container technology. DevOps, the practice that bring together development, deployment, and operations into a seamless continuum by making infrastructure as code a reality, is a part of the agile way of building solutions today. By using the concept of containers, enterprise IT teams can effortlessly and efficiently deploy solutions to immutable infrastructure.

This book deals with all the above aspects and is a timely addition to the windows and Azure developer's toolkit to understand windows containers and their usage in building different types of systems. The integration of DevOps into the subject brings a well thought out addition that helps in implementing cutting edge application development practices.

The author is a well-seasoned developer and architect, who has significant experience building modern enterprise solutions for large customers and his practical approach in dealing with this complex subject shines through in every page of this book. Bringing his consulting background and enormous technical prowess to the task, he has detailed out approach to application development with windows containers which will help developers, architects and operation teams in building modern cloud based enterprise scale applications.

Starting with an introduction to containers and microservices, the author takes a developer on a profound journey that covers from building a simple Hello World container to advanced practical usage, such as building complex enterprise applications using SQL Server, Redis Cache, storage volumes, VSTS for continuous build and deployment, resource management, and insights.

Ritesh Modi

Senior Technology Evangelist

Microsoft India