Windows contianer : how to talk to other box in the same network with computer name

Docker Desktop for Windows
1

Hi,

I am trying to set up a private network and have the 2 container join and talk to each other.

I am able to have them talk using ip adress. However i can’t get them to talk using hostname or computer name. Can anyone help?

2

Hello,

do you use docker compose or you create each container independently?

Anyway, when using docker run to create containers independently I have no problem to establish communication between the both of them using name:

Start Containers:
docker run --rm --hostname server01 -it microsoft/windowsservercore powershell
docker run --rm --hostname server02 -it microsoft/windowsservercore powershell

And then you can try ping them across:

  • server01: ping server02
  • server02: ping server01

I have no problem to do that… In both cases I can see successful responses via IPv6. The same via Docker Compose:
version: '2.1’
services:
s01:
image: microsoft/windowsservercore
hostname: s01
networks:
default:
aliases:
- s01
command: ping localhost -t
s02:
image: microsoft/windowsservercore
hostname: s02
networks:
default:
aliases:
- s02
command: ping localhost -t
depends_on:
- s01
networks:
default:
external:
name: nat

Regards,
Jakub

3

I give it a try but fail.

hostname_error.png1920×1080 48.4 KB

:sob:

4

Pasted image1871×492 72.8 KB

This is from WindowsServer 2016 but the same results I can see on my Windows 10 system.

I am watching again your screenshot and I can see one difference - you are using some external DNS - “dtran.j2.internal.cloudapp.net”. I can see two things now…

  • You are hosting your server on Azure, isn`t it? Maybe there is something specific on Azure.
  • Isnt possible the containers are trying to find server name in an external DNS that of course doesnt know them (there is no server01.dtran.j2.internal.cloudapp.net - FQDN).

Sorry, I can`t help you more, I am neither an admin nor network specialist, just poor and programmer and I am using this forum because the product (Windows Containers) has so many missing features (compared with Docker on Linux - that is logical), issues and poor documentation (no excuse for that).

5

Thank you for your time.

I will continue the googling :sob:

6

Try to redefine your network interfaces, I hope this could help…

7

@star00docker I’m not sure your approach is the right now. Here’s what works for me:

docker run --name server1 --network=nat -d microsoft/windowsservercore powershell /c sleep 3600
<id>
docker run --network=nat -ti microsoft/windowsservercore powershell
<wait for prompt in container>
ping server1

Pinging server1 [172.30.39.47] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 172.30.39.47: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 172.30.39.47: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

There’s still some funkiness with DNS on Windows, see this workaround: https://github.com/friism/MusicStore/blob/master/Dockerfile.windows#L6

(I didn’t have to do that on my WS2016 system)