🔗 Achieving zero downtime deployments with Docker

Continuous availability of applications is key in a fast-paced software development environment. The main goal is to maintain continuous services around the clock since users demand it; in addition, a few minutes of downtime can lead to decreased revenues, loss of user trust, and negatively reflect on the business. One of the methods applied in deployment that allows updates and new functionalities to be rolled out without touching the service availability is zero-downtime deployment.

The rise of containerization has made Docker one of the most effective ways to attain zero downtime deployments. Docker packages an application and its dependencies into a container that can run under a uniform operation with consistent results across various environments, with the help of Docker, developers can use strategies such as blue-green deployments and automated health checks to switch environments by rolling out updates without breaking service continuity.

This article describes the detailed way that Docker can be used in achieving zero-downtime deployments, the concepts behind it, realization step by step, and best practices for smooth and reliable software releases.