Docker Swarm using Cisco CloudCenter Platform

What is Docker Swarm?

Swarm is a native clustering tool for Docker. Swarm pools together several Docker hosts and exposes them as a single virtual Docker host. It serves the standard Docker API, so any tool that already works with Docker can now transparently scale up to multiple hosts.

Challenge

Customer is looking for CMP solution that can not only provision VM’s but also containers. They were looking for a solution that will provision a scalable Docker Swarm Cluster for them and be able to provision and manage containers to an existing Docker swarm cluster. One of their key requirements was that they wanted to have the app deployed on VM’s or on container. Customer is also looking to deploy private docker registry and have docker Swarm cluster to point to private docker registry to pull the docker images.

Manager NodeTo deploy your application to a swarm, we submit a service definition to a manager node. The manager node dispatches units of work called tasks to worker nodes. Manager nodes also perform the orchestration and cluster management functions required to maintain the desired state of the swarm. Manager nodes elect a single leader to conduct orchestration tasks.

Worker NodeWorker nodes receive and execute tasks dispatched from manager nodes. By default manager nodes are also worker nodes, but you can configure managers to be manager-only nodes. The [worker node] notifies the manager node of the current state of its assigned tasks so the manager can maintain the desired state.

Solution

To address this challenge, we created 3 application profiles for the customer using Cisco Cloud Center. One cloud agnostic blueprint encompassing a Multiple manager and worker dockers Docker swarm cluster. This was built to be deployed on any cloud that the customer has under management via Cisco Cloud Center. The second blueprint can deploy and manage containers to Docker Swarm cluster that may or may not have been deployed through CloudCenter. This could also be used for app modelling to ensure that customer can deploy within the cluster build via the previous model. BIT developed 2 tier docker application which could be deployed to the existing docker swarm cluster running in customers environment, with this customer can now deploy multiple docker application on same docker swarm cluster. The Third blueprint can deploy private docker registry which can be consumed by multiple docker swarm clusters.

Summary

BayInfotech now offers integration of Scalable Docker Swarm Cluster & Private docker registry with Cisco CloudCenter. The combination of deploying Docker Swarm cluster and deploying container application on newly created cluster or an existing cluster - gives both developers and IT a wide range of options for container deployment in enterprise. The customer now get’s the flexibility to deploy and manage both VM’s and scalable docker swarm clusters to deploy container’s through a single pane of glass.

Internal Distributed State Store

Manager (follower)

Manager (leader)

Manager (follower)

Worker Worker Worker Worker Worker Worker

Tasks