In this section, we will explore how to use NGINX with Docker. Docker is a platform that allows you to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of applications in containers. Combining NGINX with Docker can simplify the deployment process and make your applications more portable and scalable.
Key Concepts
-
Docker Basics:
- Containers: Lightweight, standalone, and executable software packages that include everything needed to run a piece of software, including the code, runtime, libraries, and system tools.
- Images: Read-only templates used to create containers. An image includes the application and all its dependencies.
- Dockerfile: A text file that contains a series of instructions on how to build a Docker image.
-
NGINX Docker Image:
- The official NGINX Docker image is maintained by the NGINX team and is available on Docker Hub.
Steps to Use NGINX with Docker
- Installing Docker
Before you can use NGINX with Docker, you need to have Docker installed on your system. You can download and install Docker from the official Docker website.
- Pulling the NGINX Image
To use NGINX with Docker, you first need to pull the official NGINX image from Docker Hub.
- Running an NGINX Container
Once you have the NGINX image, you can run it as a container.
Explanation:
--name my-nginx: Assigns a name to the container.-p 80:80: Maps port 80 on the host to port 80 on the container.-d: Runs the container in detached mode (in the background).nginx: Specifies the image to use.
- Customizing NGINX Configuration
To customize the NGINX configuration, you can create your own nginx.conf file and mount it into the container.
- Create a custom
nginx.conffile:
events {}
http {
server {
listen 80;
server_name localhost;
location / {
root /usr/share/nginx/html;
index index.html index.htm;
}
}
}- Run the NGINX container with the custom configuration:
docker run --name my-custom-nginx -p 80:80 -v /path/to/your/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro -d nginx
Explanation:
-v /path/to/your/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro: Mounts the customnginx.conffile into the container. The:rooption makes it read-only.
- Serving Static Content
To serve static content, you can mount a directory from the host into the container.
- Create a directory with your static content:
- Run the NGINX container with the content directory mounted:
docker run --name my-static-nginx -p 80:80 -v /path/to/your/content:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro -d nginx
- Using Docker Compose
Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. You can use it to manage NGINX and other services.
- Create a
docker-compose.ymlfile:
version: '3'
services:
nginx:
image: nginx
ports:
- "80:80"
volumes:
- ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
- ./content:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro- Run Docker Compose:
Practical Exercise
Exercise: Deploy a Simple Web Application with NGINX and Docker
- Objective: Deploy a simple web application using NGINX and Docker.
- Steps:
- Create a custom
nginx.conffile. - Create a directory with an
index.htmlfile. - Run an NGINX container with the custom configuration and content directory mounted.
- Create a custom
Solution
- Create a custom
nginx.conffile:
events {}
http {
server {
listen 80;
server_name localhost;
location / {
root /usr/share/nginx/html;
index index.html index.htm;
}
}
}- Create a directory with an
index.htmlfile:
- Run the NGINX container:
docker run --name my-web-app -p 80:80 -v /path/to/your/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro -v /path/to/your/content:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro -d nginx
Conclusion
In this section, we covered how to use NGINX with Docker, including pulling the NGINX image, running an NGINX container, customizing the NGINX configuration, serving static content, and using Docker Compose. By combining NGINX with Docker, you can simplify the deployment process and make your applications more portable and scalable.