Note: This is a summary of the full article. Read the complete version on Medium for detailed instructions and code examples.
Experimenting with Docker Swarm using Vagrant and Ansible
Docker Swarm provides native clustering and orchestration for Docker containers. Before deploying to production, it’s essential to experiment locally. This guide shows you how to create a disposable Docker Swarm environment using Vagrant and Ansible.
Why Use Vagrant for Docker Swarm?
Local Testing: Experiment with multi-node clusters on your machine without cloud costs.
Reproducible Environments: Vagrant ensures consistent setups across team members.
Safe Experimentation: Destroy and recreate environments without consequences.
Setting Up the Environment
The setup involves:
- Creating multiple VMs with Vagrant
- Using Ansible to install Docker on each node
- Initializing a Docker Swarm cluster
- Deploying sample services
Architecture
A typical local Docker Swarm setup includes:
- Manager Node: Controls the cluster and maintains state
- Worker Nodes: Run your containerized applications
- Overlay Networks: Enable communication between services
Benefits of This Approach
- Cost-Effective: No cloud spending during development
- Fast Iteration: Quick setup and teardown cycles
- Learning Platform: Perfect for understanding Swarm concepts
- CI/CD Testing: Validate infrastructure changes locally
Example Code
The complete working example is available in this repository under .articles/2_docker_swarm_101.
Read the full article on Medium: Experimenting on Docker Swarm with Vagrant and Ansible