Containers need enough CPU and memory; set limits so one container does not affect others. Persistent storage requires volumes or external storage. For multi-container apps, use Compose or an orchestrator like K8s.
Resource limits
- CPU and memory: Set limits (and requests in K8s) so no single container can starve others. Monitor usage and adjust.
- I/O: On shared hosts, disk I/O can be contended; consider dedicated or high-IOPS storage for heavy DB or cache.
- Networking: Default bridge is fine for single-host; for multi-host use overlay or provider networking.
Persistent storage
- Volumes: Bind mounts or named volumes for data that must survive container restart. Back up volumes separately.
- External storage: NFS, cloud block/object, or managed DB for data that should outlive the server. Prefer for production DBs.
Orchestration
- Docker Compose: Good for single-host, multi-container apps (app + DB + cache). Simple and sufficient for small teams.
- Kubernetes (or similar): When you need scaling, self-healing, and multi-node. Heavier ops; use when Compose is not enough.
Summary
Set resource limits; use volumes or external storage for persistence; choose Compose for single-host or K8s for scaling and resilience. Back up data outside containers.
