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Published on

June 3, 2021

Deploying and Managing SQL Server in Docker Containers

The concept of containerization has revolutionized the way applications are deployed and managed, giving rise to scalability, portability, and efficiency in software development. Docker, as one of the leading containerization platforms, has been widely adopted for its ability to package applications and their dependencies into a container which can be run on any system that supports Docker. This write-up provides a detailed guide on deploying and managing Microsoft SQL Server in Docker containers, touching on the benefits, challenges, and key considerations for effectively using SQL Server with Docker.

Understanding Docker Containers

Docker is an open-source platform that automates the deployment of applications inside lightweight, portable containers. These containers are isolated environments that run applications along with their runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings. Containers share the host system’s OS kernel but are executed independently. Docker containers ensure that software works reliably when moved between computing environments. For databases like SQL Server, this means consistent runtime environments, straightforward updates, and testing in isolated instances.

Why Use Docker for SQL Server

There are multiple reasons for opting to run SQL Server in Docker containers:

Efficiency: Containers are more lightweight than full virtual machines, allowing for the efficient utilization of system resources.
Rapid provisioning: SQL Server containers can be spun up or torn down in seconds, facilitating fast environment setup for development, testing, or deployment.
Portability: Docker enables SQL Server to run consistently across different platforms, ensuring developers and admins won’t encounter discrepancies during migrations or development.
Scalability: With Kubernetes or Docker Swarm, managing clusters of SQL Server containers for horizontal scaling becomes feasible.
Isolation: Running different versions or instances of SQL Server on the same host without conflict is possible thanks to container isolation.
Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Integrating SQL Server into CI/CD pipelines is streamlined with Docker containers, automating the deployment and testing process.

Installing Docker

To start using SQL Server in Docker, the Docker platform needs to be installed on the host machine. Docker is available in two editions: Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE). For individual developers, small businesses, and open source projects, Docker CE is a perfect start,

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CI/CD integration, container isolation, containerization, deploying SQL Server, Docker, Docker containers, Docker installation, horizontal scaling, managing SQL Server, SQL Server

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