Containers and Runtime Management

This module covers everything you need to run containers effectively -- from the docker run command through debugging, health monitoring, resource limits, and graceful shutdown. By the end, you will know how to operate containers reliably in production.

Container Lifecycle

flowchart LR
    A["Image"] -->|"docker run"| B["Created"]
    B --> C["Running"]
    C -->|"docker stop"| D["Stopped"]
    C -->|"Crash / Exit"| E["Exited"]
    D -->|"docker start"| C
    E -->|"Restart Policy"| C
    D -->|"docker rm"| F["Deleted"]
    E -->|"docker rm"| F

    style A fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#1565c0
    style C fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#2e7d32
    style D fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ef6c00
    style E fill:#ffebee,stroke:#c62828
    style F fill:#f5f5f5,stroke:#9e9e9e

What You Will Learn

Lesson	What It Covers
docker run	Creating and starting containers with the right flags
Logs, Exec, and Inspect	Debugging containers using logs, shell access, and metadata inspection
Healthchecks and Restart Policies	Monitoring container health and configuring automatic recovery
Resource Limits	Protecting the host with memory, CPU, and process limits
Entrypoint, CMD, and Signal Handling	Designing containers that start correctly and shut down gracefully
Running Containers	Executing containers in interactive and detached mode with various options
Container Interaction	Using exec, attach, cp, top, and diff to interact with containers
Environment Variables	Managing container configuration with variables and env files
Container Resource Management	Monitoring and controlling container resource usage
Understanding Docker Storage	Docker's layered filesystem, copy-on-write, and storage drivers
Volume Management	Creating and managing volumes, bind mounts, and tmpfs
Data Persistence Strategies	Choosing the right storage type and designing persistence patterns
Backup and Restore	Protecting data with backup scripts and restore strategies

4. Container Management

4.1 Container Operations

Section	Topic	Learning Objectives	Duration	Practical Tasks	Resources
4.1.1	Running Containers	Execute containers with various options	2.5 hours	Run interactive/detached containers, set options	Container run reference
4.1.2	Container Interaction	Interact with running containers	2 hours	Execute commands, attach to containers, copy files	Container interaction guide
4.1.3	Environment Variables	Manage container environment configuration	1.5 hours	Set environment variables, use env files	Environment configuration
4.1.4	Container Resource Management	Control container resource usage	2 hours	Set CPU/memory limits, monitor resource usage	Resource management guide

4.2 Data Management

Section	Topic	Learning Objectives	Duration	Practical Tasks	Resources
4.2.1	Understanding Docker Storage	Learn Docker storage concepts and types	2 hours	Explore container filesystem, understand layers	Storage architecture guide
4.2.2	Volume Management	Create and manage Docker volumes	2.5 hours	Create named volumes, bind mounts, tmpfs mounts	Volume management documentation
4.2.3	Data Persistence Strategies	Implement data persistence patterns	2 hours	Design persistent storage solutions	Data persistence best practices
4.2.4	Backup and Restore	Backup and restore container data	2 hours	Create backup scripts, restore data	Backup strategies guide

Prerequisites

Before starting this module, you should:

• Have Docker Engine installed (Module 2)
• Understand Docker images and how to build them (Module 3)