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Docker Swarm vs Rancher: What are the differences?
Key Difference 1: Scalability and High Availability - Docker Swarm is a native clustering and scheduling tool for containers, allowing multiple Docker hosts to be grouped into a swarm. It provides high availability and scalability by distributing containers across several Docker hosts. On the other hand, Rancher is a complete container management platform that supports Docker Swarm as one of its orchestrators. Rancher incorporates additional features like load balancing and service discovery to enhance scalability and high availability.
Key Difference 2: Ease of Deployment and Management - Docker Swarm is relatively easy to deploy as it is included in the Docker Engine. It can be managed using the Docker swarm CLI or API. Rancher, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly web-based interface for managing containers and orchestrators. It simplifies the deployment and management of Docker Swarm clusters by providing a centralized control plane and a graphical user interface.
Key Difference 3: Multi-Orchestrator Support - Docker Swarm is designed specifically for orchestrating Docker containers. It does not support other orchestrators besides its native Swarm mode. In contrast, Rancher supports multiple orchestrators, including Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, and Mesos. This multi-orchestrator support allows users to choose the most suitable orchestrator for their specific requirements and easily switch between them if needed.
Key Difference 4: Flexibility and Extensibility - Docker Swarm provides a straightforward and simple approach to container orchestration, making it suitable for smaller-scale deployments. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use, sacrificing some advanced features and flexibility. Rancher, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive and extensible platform with advanced networking, storage, and security features. It is well-suited for larger and more complex container deployments that require additional customization and flexibility.
Key Difference 5: Integrations and Ecosystem - As a native Docker component, Docker Swarm integrates seamlessly with other Docker tools and services. It benefits from the extensive Docker ecosystem and community support. Rancher, on the other hand, offers a broader range of integrations and ecosystem support. It has built-in integrations with external logging, monitoring, and CI/CD tools, providing a more holistic container management solution.
Key Difference 6: Maturity and Adoption - Docker Swarm has been part of the Docker ecosystem since version 1.12 and has gained significant adoption. It is a mature and stable technology with a large user base. Rancher, on the other hand, is a relatively newer platform that supports multiple orchestrators, including Docker Swarm. While Rancher has gained popularity and adoption, it may not have the same level of maturity and community support as Docker Swarm.
In Summary, Docker Swarm offers simplicity, scalability, and native integration within the Docker ecosystem, while Rancher provides a more comprehensive container management platform with multi-orchestrator support, advanced features, and a broader range of integrations.
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?
If you just want the basic orchestration between a set of defined hosts, go with Docker Swarm. If you want more advanced orchestration + flexibility in terms of resource management and load balancing go with Kubernetes. In both cases, you can make it even more complex while making the whole architecture more understandable and replicable by using Terraform.
Our whole DevOps stack consists of the following tools:
- GitHub (incl. GitHub Pages/Markdown for Documentation, GettingStarted and HowTo's) for collaborative review and code management tool
- Respectively Git as revision control system
- SourceTree as Git GUI
- Visual Studio Code as IDE
- CircleCI for continuous integration (automatize development process)
- Prettier / TSLint / ESLint as code linter
- SonarQube as quality gate
- Docker as container management (incl. Docker Compose for multi-container application management)
- VirtualBox for operating system simulation tests
- Kubernetes as cluster management for docker containers
- Heroku for deploying in test environments
- nginx as web server (preferably used as facade server in production environment)
- SSLMate (using OpenSSL) for certificate management
- Amazon EC2 (incl. Amazon S3) for deploying in stage (production-like) and production environments
- PostgreSQL as preferred database system
- Redis 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.
Pros of Docker Swarm
- Docker friendly55
- Easy to setup46
- Standard Docker API40
- Easy to use38
- Native23
- Free22
- Clustering made easy13
- Simple usage12
- Integral part of docker11
- Cross Platform6
- Labels and annotations5
- Performance5
- Easy Networking3
- Shallow learning curve3
Pros of Rancher
- Easy to use103
- Open source and totally free79
- Multi-host docker-compose support63
- Load balancing and health check included58
- Simple58
- Rolling upgrades, green/blue upgrades feature44
- Dns and service discovery out-of-the-box42
- Only requires docker37
- Multitenant and permission management34
- Easy to use and feature rich29
- Cross cloud compatible11
- Does everything needed for a docker infrastructure11
- Simple and powerful8
- Next-gen platform8
- Very Docker-friendly7
- Support Kubernetes and Swarm6
- Application catalogs with stack templates (wizards)6
- Supports Apache Mesos, Docker Swarm, and Kubernetes6
- Rolling and blue/green upgrades deployments6
- High Availability service: keeps your app up 24/76
- Easy to use service catalog5
- Very intuitive UI4
- IaaS-vendor independent, supports hybrid/multi-cloud4
- Awesome support4
- Scalable3
- Requires less infrastructure requirements2
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Cons of Docker Swarm
- Low adoption9
Cons of Rancher
- Hosting Rancher can be complicated10
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