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  5. Docker Swarm vs Lens

Docker Swarm vs Lens

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm
Stacks779
Followers990
Votes282
Lens
Lens
Stacks151
Followers183
Votes9
GitHub Stars23.0K
Forks1.5K

Docker Swarm vs Lens: What are the differences?

# Docker Swarm vs. Lens

Docker Swarm and Lens are both tools used in the deployment and management of containerized applications, but they have key differences that set them apart. Below are the main differences between Docker Swarm and Lens:

1. **Architecture**: Docker Swarm is a container orchestration tool that follows a master-slave architecture, where the manager node acts as the master and the worker nodes as slaves. On the other hand, Lens is a Kubernetes IDE that provides a centralized and visual interface for managing Kubernetes clusters, which have a more distributed and decentralized architecture.

2. **Supported platforms**: Docker Swarm is specifically designed for managing Docker containers and is limited to Docker Engine. In contrast, Lens supports multiple cloud providers and Kubernetes clusters, making it more versatile for organizations with a diverse set of infrastructure requirements.

3. **Scalability**: Docker Swarm is known for its ease of use and simplicity, making it a good choice for smaller deployments or simpler use cases. Lens, with its focus on Kubernetes, is better suited for large-scale deployments that require robust management capabilities and scalability features.

4. **User interface**: Docker Swarm provides a basic command-line interface and web UI for managing containerized applications. Lens, on the other hand, offers a feature-rich and visually appealing user interface that simplifies the management and monitoring of Kubernetes clusters.

5. **Community support**: Docker Swarm has a smaller community compared to Lens, which is built around the popular Kubernetes ecosystem. This means that Lens users have access to a broader range of resources, plugins, and community-driven support options.

6. **Extensibility**: While Docker Swarm is limited in terms of extensibility and customization, Lens allows for a high degree of flexibility through integrations with various tools and plugins, making it a more adaptable solution for complex deployment scenarios.

In Summary, Docker Swarm and Lens differ in their architecture, supported platforms, scalability, user interface, community support, and extensibility, catering to different needs and preferences in the container orchestration and management space.

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Advice on Docker Swarm, Lens

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

Detailed Comparison

Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm
Lens
Lens

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.

It is the only IDE you’ll ever need to take control of your Kubernetes clusters. It is a standalone application for MacOS, Windows and Linux operating systems. It is open source and free.

-
Multi Cluster Management; Multiple Workspaces; Built-In Prometheus Stats; Built-in Helm Applications Management; Context Aware Terminal;
Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
23.0K
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
1.5K
Stacks
779
Stacks
151
Followers
990
Followers
183
Votes
282
Votes
9
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 55
    Docker friendly
  • 46
    Easy to setup
  • 40
    Standard Docker API
  • 38
    Easy to use
  • 23
    Native
Cons
  • 9
    Low adoption
Pros
  • 4
    Keep track of cluster changes
  • 2
    Easy management of multiple clusters
  • 2
    Open Source
  • 1
    Local installation, not SaaS
Integrations
Docker
Docker
Kubernetes
Kubernetes
Linux
Linux
macOS
macOS
Windows
Windows

What are some alternatives to Docker Swarm, Lens?

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.

Flocker

Flocker

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.

Kitematic

Kitematic

Simple Docker App management for Mac OS X

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