Windows Container and Docker already useful?

Docker Desktop
1

Hi,
I am already using Linux Containers with Docker in production on multiple sites and I also created quite a dozen of images for public, private and my company. Docker runs generally very well on Linux so I was wondering how well it would do if I was using it on Windows Server 2016 for Windows Containers. As a background, I think it could be useful for the distribution of our commercial server application (that is running on tomcat server).
However, trying it out I think it is more a nightmare at the moment:
a) I was able to install it Windows Server 2016 TP5, when I then tried out the naked windowsservercore Image, it said that I was running the wrong kernel. Does this mean, that in the future, you have to repack your image for every Windows Version? I thought MS had a microkernel?
b) I am not able to create a proper windows version of our Dockerfiles that I am already using for the Linux version. Powershell commands fail 90% of the time with return code 255.
c) So I checked it on Windows 10 Anniversary Edition. There I wasn’t even able to start any image. I can pull the nanoserver but it hangs when starting.
d) Will I be able to use the same Images for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 anyway?
e) The windowsservercore is far too huge with 8 GB!!!

So long. What is you experience with Windows containers?

2

I was able to install it Windows Server 2016 TP5

I highly recommend using the newly released RTM preview. It’s much faster and more enjoyable. Details:

Does this mean, that in the future, you have to repack your image for every Windows Version

No. Compatibility was not a focus for the pre-RTM tech previews, so that’s why you’re seeing the error. Going forward post RTM, I think the major version just has to match (although Microsoft may not support all version combinations unless you’re using Hyper-V isolation).

the nanoserver (…) hangs when starting

Run Windows Update on Windows 10: https://github.com/Microsoft/Virtualization-Documentation/issues/358#issuecomment-249754005

Will I be able to use the same Images for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 anyway

Yes, Windows 10 only runs Windows Server based containers.

The windowsservercore is far too huge with 8 GB

Please see my response here: A couple of general questions regarding containers - #2 by friism

3

So far (except private registry On-Premise) it look very promising.
We currently have build some core images for our software infrastructure running on a transparent network.
This combined with automating it all with Powershell is very powerfull.

Though we still have some wishes and are in a baby fase we still continue to invest time and recources in getting it to work.

We also “had” the error 255. This can be solved by uninstalling some updates on TP5. With the latest RTM of Windows Server 2016 we haven’t seen this issue yet. If you want to continue on TP5, then here I explain the workaround https://github.com/docker/docker/issues/26693