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The Hybrid Docker Swarm: Mashing Windows and Linux Apps with Containers - Elton Stoneman

Linux containers run on Linux. Windows containers run on Windows. You can't mix them on a single host, but you can build a cluster of hosts into a single Docker Swarm, using a mixture of Windows and Linux servers. That swarm can run both Windows and Linux containers, and within the swarm all the containers can talk to each other. This session will show you how to make that happen, but more importantly you'll see why it's a such an important capability - one that will change the way you design, build and deliver software. With a hybrid Docker Swarm you can build a distributed solution where you pick the right technology stack for each component, and leverage high-quality open-source applications to minimize the amount of custom software you need to write and maintain. We'll take an existing ASP.NET application, built to run on Windows and IIS, and split out a couple of components into separate services. Then we'll containerize the whole solution into a suite of Docker images that each use the right OS for the job - Windows Server Core, Windows Nano Server or Linux. We'll deploy the whole stack in a hybrid Docker Swarm in Azure, and explore the benefits of running a distributed cross-platform application within a single cluster boundary.

June 12, 2017