Docker Run vs Docker Compose: What's the Difference?

As an experienced developer, I understand that newcomers to the field may find it confusing to differentiate between the docker run and docker-compose commands in Docker. In this article, I will guide you through the process of understanding the differences between these two commands and when to use each of them.

Overview

Before diving into the details, let's have a quick overview of the two commands and their purposes:

  • docker run: This command is used to run a single container based on a specific image. It allows you to specify various options and configurations for the container.

  • docker-compose: This command is used to define and run multi-container Docker applications. It allows you to define a set of services, their configurations, and their dependencies in a docker-compose.yml file.

Now, let's break down the process of using each command and what steps you need to take.

Using docker run

When using the docker run command, you follow these steps:

Step Actions
1 Pull the desired Docker image from a registry if it doesn't exist locally.
2 Run the container based on the pulled image.
3 Configure container options such as port bindings, environment variables, volumes, etc.
4 Interact with the running container if necessary.
5 Stop and remove the container when no longer needed.

To achieve these steps, you can use the following commands:

1. docker pull <image_name>  # Pull the desired Docker image from a registry
2. docker run <image_name>  # Run the container based on the pulled image
3. docker run -p <host_port>:<container_port> -e <env_variable>=<value> -v <host_path>:<container_path> <image_name>  # Configure container options
4. docker exec -it <container_id> <command>  # Interact with the running container
5. docker stop <container_id> && docker rm <container_id>  # Stop and remove the container

Note: Replace <image_name>, <host_port>, <container_port>, <env_variable>, <value>, <host_path>, <container_path>, and <container_id> with the appropriate values.

Using docker-compose

When using the docker-compose command, you follow these steps:

Step Actions
1 Define a docker-compose.yml file with the desired services, their configurations, and their dependencies.
2 Build the defined services into Docker images, if necessary.
3 Start the containers based on the defined services.
4 Interact with the running containers if necessary.
5 Stop and remove the containers when no longer needed.

To achieve these steps, you can use the following commands:

1. Create a `docker-compose.yml` file with the desired services, configurations, and dependencies.
2. docker-compose build  # Build the defined services into Docker images
3. docker-compose up  # Start the containers based on the defined services
4. docker-compose exec <service_name> <command>  # Interact with a specific running container
5. docker-compose down  # Stop and remove the containers

Note: Replace <service_name> and <command> with the appropriate values.

Gantt Chart

Here is a simplified Gantt chart that represents the steps for both docker run and docker-compose:

gantt
    title Docker Run vs Docker Compose

    section Docker Run
    Pull Image: 1, 1
    Run Container: 2, 2
    Configure Options: 3, 3
    Interact with Container: 4, 4
    Stop and Remove Container: 5, 5

    section Docker Compose
    Define Compose File: 1, 1
    Build Services: 2, 2
    Start Containers: 3, 3
    Interact with Containers: 4, 4
    Stop and Remove Containers: 5, 5

Conclusion

In summary, the docker run command is used to run a single container, while the docker-compose command is used to define and run multi-container applications. Understanding the differences between these two commands is essential for effectively managing your Docker containers. By following the steps outlined in this article and using the provided code snippets, you will be able to differentiate between docker run and docker-compose and utilize them appropriately in your development workflow.