Docker Deep Dive

Containers make more sense when you can see both the big picture and the moving parts. In Docker Deep Dive, Nigel Poulton starts with the fundamentals of containers and Docker, then builds toward the practical work of packaging and deploying applications. This is the 2020 edition: a focused introduction to Docker’s tools and workflows as they stood at that time.

Start with the container picture

The opening section sets Docker in context, comparing container approaches and introducing the technology’s place in development and operations. It also covers installation across Windows, Mac, Linux, and Windows Server, before turning to the perspectives of people who build and run applications.

Understand what Docker is doing

From there, the book gets into the Docker Engine, images, and containers. The progression helps connect the concepts behind Docker with recognizable tasks: finding and tagging images, starting and inspecting containers, managing their lifecycle, and understanding how the engine handles container processes.

Move from a single app to connected services

Practical chapters explore containerizing an application, using multi-stage builds, and deploying applications with Docker Compose. The material then broadens to Docker Swarm, service management, networking, overlay networks, and Docker Stacks—useful context for readers trying to understand how containers work together beyond a single machine.

Storage and security matter, too

Dedicated sections address persistent data and Docker security, including security technologies associated with the platform. Together, these topics give the book a useful range: not only how to start a container, but also how to think about the connections, data, and safeguards around containerized applications.

A practical route into Docker

With a structure that pairs conceptual explanations with examples and command-focused material, this edition will suit readers looking for an organized introduction to Docker’s core ideas and tools. Developers and IT operations learners can use it to build a clearer foundation in images, containers, Compose, Swarm, networking, storage, and security. Keep the edition date in mind when applying technical instructions to current environments.