Docker: Build and Optimize Docker Images

Course details

In this intermediate Docker course, author and Docker Captain Shelley Benhoff shows you how Docker’s layer structure and caching mechanism can dramatically speed up your builds and reduce image sizes. Learn to apply best practices for structuring Dockerfiles, incorporating multi-stage builds, and optimizing the build process for security and efficiency. By the end of this course, you will be able to confidently create lean, maintainable images that follow industry-recommended patterns.

Learning objectives
Work with a registry to pull and push images.
Explain how Docker image layers and caching work to optimize builds.
Write a Dockerfile using best practices to create efficient, maintainable images.
Implement multi-stage builds to reduce image size and improve build speed.
Troubleshoot common issues related to the build process and caching.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Understanding Docker images
02 - What you should know

1. Introducing Docker Images

03 - Comparing Docker images and containers
04 - Why image optimization matters
05 - Finding official images on Docker Hub
06 - Building custom images
07 - Challenge - Finding and building images
08 - Solution - Finding and building images

2. Organizing Images

09 - Why image organization matters
10 - Tagging Docker images
11 - Labeling Docker images
12 - Working with tags and labels
13 - Working with an image repository
14 - Challenge - Tagging and labeling Docker images
15 - Solution - Tagging and labeling Docker images

3. Understanding the Build Cache and Image Layers

16 - How Docker builds and layers work
17 - Understanding the cache mechanism
18 - Excluding unneeded files
19 - Building images using caching options
20 - Challenge - Working with the build cache
21 - Solution - Working with the build cache

4. Using Dockerfile Best Practices

22 - Choosing a base image
23 - Incorporating basic security practices
24 - Combining commands and maintaining readability
25 - Challenge - Optimizing a Dockerfile
26 - Solution - Optimizing a Dockerfile

5. Working with Multi-Stage Builds

27 - Why multi-stage builds matter
28 - Setting up a multi-stage build
29 - Reviewing multi-stage build output
30 - Challenge - Setting up a multi-stage Dockerfile
31 - Solution - Setting up a multi-stage Dockerfile

6. Troubleshooting Docker Images

32 - Identify common Docker image build errors
33 - Using basic debugging techniques
34 - Challenge - Debugging Docker images
35 - Solution - Debugging Docker images

Conclusion

36 - Advancing your Docker skills