The Ultimate Docker Container Book - Fourth Edition: Build, ship, deploy, and scale containerized applications with Docker, Kubernetes, and the cloud

Master Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native container deployment with this hands-on guide. Learn image creation, orchestration, security, monitoring, and real-world production patterns for scalable applications

Key Features

• Learn Docker and Kubernetes from first principles through hands-on, production-focused examples
• Build secure, scalable container platforms with orchestration, governance, and cloud best practices
• Apply modern DevOps and AI-driven automation patterns in real-world enterprise scenarios

Book Description

Containers have become the foundation of modern software platforms, transforming how applications are built, shipped, secured, and operated. However, as systems grow more distributed and regulated, using containers effectively requires more than basic commands; it requires architectural understanding, security awareness, and operational discipline.

The Ultimate Docker Container Book, Fourth Edition, takes you from container fundamentals to running production-grade platforms. Starting from first principles, the book explains how containers reduce friction in the software supply chain and progressively introduces images, networking, state management, testing, and debugging. You will learn how to design and operate distributed applications, manage multi-service systems, and apply orchestration using Kubernetes. This fourth edition places a stronger emphasis on security, governance, and compliance, reflecting real-world enterprise requirements. It also explores AI and automation in DevOps, showing how modern teams can enhance delivery and operations responsibly.

Whether you are a developer, DevOps engineer, platform engineer, or software architect, this book equips you with the skills and understanding needed to build secure, scalable, and future-ready container platforms.

What you will learn

• Understand containers and their role in the modern software supply chain
• Build, run, debug, and test containerized applications effectively
• Create optimized and secure container images
• Manage state, configuration, and networking for containers
• Design and operate distributed applications using orchestration
• Deploy and secure applications with Kubernetes in production
• Run container platforms on major cloud providers
• Apply security, governance, and AI-driven automation best practices

Who this book is for

This book is for Linux professionals, system administrators, DevOps engineers, operations engineers, software architects, and developers looking to master Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native containerization. A basic understanding of Docker is useful, but no prior Kubernetes experience is required. Familiarity with Bash or PowerShell helps but is not mandatory.

Table of Contents

1. What Are Containers and Why Should I Use Them?
2. Setting Up a Working Environment
3. Mastering Containers
4. Creating and Managing Container Images
5. Data Volumes and Configuration
6. Debugging Code Running in Containers
7. Testing Applications Running in Containers
8. Increasing Productivity with Docker Tips and Tricks
9. Learning about Distributed Application Architecture
10. Using Single-Host Networking
11. Managing Containers with Docker Compose
12. Shipping Logs and Monitoring Containers
13. Securing Containers
14. Introducing Container Orchestration
15. Introducing Kubernetes
16. Deploying, Updating, and Securing an Application with Kubernetes
17. Running a Containerized Application in the Cloud
18. Monitoring and Troubleshooting an Application Running in Production
19. AI and Automation in DevOps
20. Real-World Containerization Patterns

Dr. Gabriel N. Schenker has more than 30 years of experience as a software engineer, architect, consultant, trainer, and engineering leader. He is currently Head of Platform Engineering and Lead Architect at iptiQ Life & Health EMEA by Swiss Re, where he focuses on developer platforms, data mesh architectures, security, governance, and AI adoption in a highly regulated environment. Gabriel has worked with companies such as Docker, Confluent, and Maison du Software, holds a PhD in physics, and is a certified Apache Kafka Developer and Operator. He lives in Switzerland with his family.