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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Container Registry
  4. Container Tools
  5. Docker Swarm vs Flocker

Docker Swarm vs Flocker

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Flocker
Flocker
Stacks12
Followers59
Votes15
GitHub Stars3.4K
Forks288
Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm
Stacks779
Followers990
Votes282

Docker Swarm vs Flocker: What are the differences?

Introduction

When it comes to container orchestration, Docker Swarm and Flocker are two popular choices in the DevOps world. Each comes with its set of features and advantages, making them suitable for different use cases. In this comparison, we will highlight the key differences between Docker Swarm and Flocker to help you choose the right tool for your container management needs.

  1. Architecture: Docker Swarm follows a centralized architecture where a manager node manages and schedules tasks on worker nodes. On the other hand, Flocker has a decentralized architecture where every node can act as a coordinator, leading to a more distributed approach to container management.

  2. Data Management: Flocker is designed specifically for stateful applications and provides built-in support for managing persistent data volumes. Docker Swarm, on the other hand, focuses more on stateless applications and relies on external volume drivers for managing data persistence.

  3. Scalability: Docker Swarm is designed for scalability and can handle a large number of nodes and containers, making it suitable for large-scale deployments. Flocker, although scalable, may require more configuration and fine-tuning to achieve the same level of scalability as Docker Swarm.

  4. Networking: Docker Swarm provides built-in networking capabilities, allowing containers to communicate with each other seamlessly within the cluster. Flocker, on the other hand, relies on external plugins for networking, which may require additional configuration and maintenance.

  5. High Availability: Docker Swarm comes with built-in support for high availability by replicating services across multiple nodes to ensure continuous uptime. Flocker, while it supports high availability through data replication, may require more manual configuration and monitoring to achieve the same level of reliability.

  6. Vendor Support: Docker Swarm is developed and maintained by Docker, a leading container platform provider, which ensures regular updates, support, and integration with other Docker tools. Flocker, on the other hand, is an open-source project that may rely more on community support and third-party integrations for updates and compatibility with other technologies.

In Summary, Docker Swarm offers centralized architecture, scalability for large deployments, built-in networking, and high availability, while Flocker provides decentralized architecture, specialized data management for stateful applications, and may require more manual configuration and maintenance.

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Advice on Flocker, Docker Swarm

Simon
Simon

Senior Fullstack Developer at QUANTUSflow Software GmbH

Apr 27, 2020

DecidedonGitHubGitHubGitHub PagesGitHub PagesMarkdownMarkdown

Our whole DevOps stack consists of the following tools:

  • @{GitHub}|tool:27| (incl. @{GitHub Pages}|tool:683|/@{Markdown}|tool:1147| for Documentation, GettingStarted and HowTo's) for collaborative review and code management tool
  • Respectively @{Git}|tool:1046| as revision control system
  • @{SourceTree}|tool:1599| as @{Git}|tool:1046| GUI
  • @{Visual Studio Code}|tool:4202| as IDE
  • @{CircleCI}|tool:190| for continuous integration (automatize development process)
  • @{Prettier}|tool:7035| / @{TSLint}|tool:5561| / @{ESLint}|tool:3337| as code linter
  • @{SonarQube}|tool:2638| as quality gate
  • @{Docker}|tool:586| as container management (incl. @{Docker Compose}|tool:3136| for multi-container application management)
  • @{VirtualBox}|tool:774| for operating system simulation tests
  • @{Kubernetes}|tool:1885| as cluster management for docker containers
  • @{Heroku}|tool:133| for deploying in test environments
  • @{nginx}|tool:1052| as web server (preferably used as facade server in production environment)
  • @{SSLMate}|tool:2752| (using @{OpenSSL}|tool:3091|) for certificate management
  • @{Amazon EC2}|tool:18| (incl. @{Amazon S3}|tool:25|) for deploying in stage (production-like) and production environments
  • @{PostgreSQL}|tool:1028| as preferred database system
  • @{Redis}|tool:1031| as preferred in-memory database/store (great for caching)

The main reason we have chosen Kubernetes over Docker Swarm is related to the following artifacts:

  • Key features: Easy and flexible installation, Clear dashboard, Great scaling operations, Monitoring is an integral part, Great load balancing concepts, Monitors the condition and ensures compensation in the event of failure.
  • Applications: An application can be deployed using a combination of pods, deployments, and services (or micro-services).
  • Functionality: Kubernetes as a complex installation and setup process, but it not as limited as Docker Swarm.
  • Monitoring: It supports multiple versions of logging and monitoring when the services are deployed within the cluster (Elasticsearch/Kibana (ELK), Heapster/Grafana, Sysdig cloud integration).
  • Scalability: All-in-one framework for distributed systems.
  • Other Benefits: Kubernetes is backed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), huge community among container orchestration tools, it is an open source and modular tool that works with any OS.
12.8M views12.8M
Comments
Pavel
Pavel

Jan 27, 2021

Needs adviceonLinuxLinuxWindowsWindowsDockerDocker

Hello, we have a bunch of local hosts (Linux and Windows) where Docker containers are running with bamboo agents on them. Currently, each container is installed as a system service. Each host is set up manually. I want to improve the system by adding some sort of orchestration software that should install, update and check for consistency in my docker containers. I don't need any clouds, all hosts are local. I'd prefer simple solutions. What orchestration system should I choose?

199k views199k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Flocker
Flocker
Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm

Flocker is a data volume manager and multi-host Docker cluster management tool. With it you can control your data using the same tools you use for your stateless applications. This means that you can run your databases, queues and key-value stores in Docker and move them around as easily as the rest of your app.

Swarm serves the standard Docker API, so any tool which already communicates with a Docker daemon can use Swarm to transparently scale to multiple hosts: Dokku, Compose, Krane, Deis, DockerUI, Shipyard, Drone, Jenkins... and, of course, the Docker client itself.

Move containers and their data together between hosts Run multiple containers on multiple machines Define your application as a set of connected containers Easily move between dev, staging and production
-
Statistics
GitHub Stars
3.4K
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Forks
288
GitHub Forks
-
Stacks
12
Stacks
779
Followers
59
Followers
990
Votes
15
Votes
282
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 4
    Open-Source
  • 3
    Easily manage Docker containers with Data
  • 2
    Only requires docker
  • 2
    Multi-host docker-compose support
  • 2
    Great support from their team
Pros
  • 55
    Docker friendly
  • 46
    Easy to setup
  • 40
    Standard Docker API
  • 38
    Easy to use
  • 23
    Native
Cons
  • 9
    Low adoption
Integrations
Amazon EC2
Amazon EC2
Amazon EBS
Amazon EBS
Docker
Docker
Mesosphere
Mesosphere
Kubernetes
Kubernetes
Docker Compose
Docker Compose
CoreOS
CoreOS
Docker
Docker

What are some alternatives to Flocker, Docker Swarm?

Kubernetes

Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers. It handles scheduling onto nodes in a compute cluster and actively manages workloads to ensure that their state matches the users declared intentions.

Rancher

Rancher

Rancher is an open source container management platform that includes full distributions of Kubernetes, Apache Mesos and Docker Swarm, and makes it simple to operate container clusters on any cloud or infrastructure platform.

Docker Compose

Docker Compose

With Compose, you define a multi-container application in a single file, then spin your application up in a single command which does everything that needs to be done to get it running.

Tutum

Tutum

Tutum lets developers easily manage and run lightweight, portable, self-sufficient containers from any application. AWS-like control, Heroku-like ease. The same container that a developer builds and tests on a laptop can run at scale in Tutum.

Portainer

Portainer

It is a universal container management tool. It works with Kubernetes, Docker, Docker Swarm and Azure ACI. It allows you to manage containers without needing to know platform-specific code.

Codefresh

Codefresh

Automate and parallelize testing. Codefresh allows teams to spin up on-demand compositions to run unit and integration tests as part of the continuous integration process. Jenkins integration allows more complex pipelines.

CAST.AI

CAST.AI

It is an AI-driven cloud optimization platform for Kubernetes. Instantly cut your cloud bill, prevent downtime, and 10X the power of DevOps.

k3s

k3s

Certified Kubernetes distribution designed for production workloads in unattended, resource-constrained, remote locations or inside IoT appliances. Supports something as small as a Raspberry Pi or as large as an AWS a1.4xlarge 32GiB server.

Kitematic

Kitematic

Simple Docker App management for Mac OS X

Docker Machine

Docker Machine

Machine lets you create Docker hosts on your computer, on cloud providers, and inside your own data center. It creates servers, installs Docker on them, then configures the Docker client to talk to them.

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