How to Simply Run a Docker Container in the Cloud

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Published on 6 July 2023 by Arjan Franzen

6 July 2023

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Setting up and operating a Kubernetes cluster is becoming increasingly complex. Simply running a website using a hand full of Docker containers should not be difficult to set up and operate. Running containers in the cloud should be as easy as a deploy command, letting the cloud provider sort out all the scaling, healing and operations bits and pieces.

This post will describe several Managed Container Services from AWS, Azure and Google Cloud for running Docker containers in the cloud. I will discuss the benefits of using an MCS and highlight some of the best MCS solutions available, including AWS ECS, AWS Lambda, AWS App Runner, Azure Container Instances, and Google Cloud Run.

Some of the advantages of using a Managed Container Service (MCS) are:

Cost reduction: MCS eliminate the time, effort, and money spent on maintaining secure infrastructure to run your container.
Flexibility: you can easily move from cloud to cloud or back to your on-prem infrastructure, freeing you from vendor lock-in.
Speed: Since the underlying infrastructure abstracts from it, you can deploy your container quicker.

Overall, MCS will simplify the running process of a software application and improve overall security around it, as most CaaS solutions offer vulnerability scans. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about managing the hardware that will run your container.

Best Managed Container Service (MCS) Solutions:

Here are some of the top Managed Container Service solutions available in the market:

AWS ECS (Elastic Container Service):

AWS ECS is a fully managed container orchestration service that Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides. It enables you to run containers on a cluster of EC2 instances or AWS Fargate, a serverless compute engine for containers. ECS offers robust container management capabilities, including automatic scaling, load balancing, and integration with other AWS services. It provides granular control over container placement, allowing you to define task definitions and manage container instances efficiently. With ECS, you can use your preferred container orchestration tools, such as Docker CLI or Kubernetes.

AWS Lambda:

AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that allows you to run code without provisioning or managing servers. While Lambda is primarily designed for running short-lived functions, it also supports running container images as an execution environment. With Lambda, you can package your application or service into a container image and automatically scale it based on incoming requests or events. It offers high scalability, cost efficiency, and ease of deployment without managing the underlying infrastructure.

AWS App Runner:

AWS App Runner is a fully managed service that simplifies containerised application deployment. It provides a streamlined experience by abstracting away infrastructure and container orchestration complexities. With App Runner, you can directly deploy your source code or container image from various sources, including Git repositories or container registries. It automatically builds, deploys, and scales your applications based on the provided source, enabling rapid application delivery. App Runner supports multiple programming languages and frameworks, making it accessible to a wide range of developers.

Azure Container Instances (ACI):

Azure Container Instances is a serverless container offering provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to run containers without managing the underlying infrastructure. ACI offers fast and fine-grained container deployment, where you can spin up containers in seconds and pay only for the resources consumed per second. It supports Linux and Windows containers and integrates seamlessly with other Azure services. ACI provides flexibility in terms of container instance sizing and scaling, making it suitable for various workloads, from simple to complex applications.

Google Cloud Run:

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Google Cloud Run is a fully managed compute platform offered by Google Cloud. It enables you to run stateless HTTP-driven containers in a fully managed environment. Cloud Run abstracts away the underlying infrastructure and scales your containers automatically based on incoming requests. It supports both container images and source code deployment, providing flexibility for developers. Cloud Run offers seamless integration with other Google Cloud services and provides a pay-per-use pricing model.

Comparison

Each of these container services in the cloud offers unique features and capabilities:

AWS ECS provides comprehensive container management and orchestration capabilities, suitable for more complex deployments.
AWS Lambda allows serverless execution of code or containers, providing scalability and cost efficiency for event-driven workloads.
AWS App Runner simplifies containerised application deployment from various sources, focusing on rapid application delivery.
Azure Container Instances offers serverless container deployment, fast startup times, and fine-grained resource consumption.
Google Cloud Run is a fully managed platform for running stateless containers with automatic scaling and seamless integration with Google Cloud services.

Conclusion

Our Content At Any Scale-solution (CaaS) leverages Managed Container Services to empower websites to achieve hyper-scale, seamless deployment, and high performance. Combining Content Delivery Network (CDN) and Managed container services from AWS or GCP, we cater to customer needs.

Content at any Scale leverages CDNs for lightning-fast content delivery to global users. CDNs distribute website content to edge locations, minimizing latency and improving user experience.

Managed container services from AWS or GCP enable efficient and scalable containerised application deployment. We offer AWS ECS, Lambda, App Runner, or GCP's Cloud Run, meeting diverse requirements.

With CaaS 🧀, your website handles increased traffic, deploys updates seamlessly, and ensures an excellent user experience. Experience the power of Content at any Scale from ZEN Software for digital success.