Most applications, even the funky cloud-native microservices ones, need high-performance, production-grade infrastructure to run on. Having impeccable knowledge of Docker will help you to thrive in the modern cloud-first world. With this book, you’ll gain the skills you need to work with Docker and its containers. The book begins with an introduction to containers and explains its functionality and application in the real world. You’ll then get an overview of VMware, Kubernetes, and Docker and learn to install Docker on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Once you’ve understood the Ops and Dev perspective of Docker, you’ll be able to see the big picture and understand what Docker exactly does. The book then turns its attention to the more technical aspects, guiding your through practical exercises covering Docker engine, Docker images, and Docker containers. You’ll learn techniques for containerizing an app, deploying apps with Docker Compose, and managing cloud-native applications with Swarm. You’ll also build Docker networks and Docker overlay networks and handle applications that write persistent data. Finally, you’ll deploy apps with Docker stacks and secure your Docker environment. By the end of this book, you’ll be well-versed in Docker and containers and have developed the skills to create, deploy, and run applications on the cloud.