DevOps Shack

Docker Scenario-based
Interview Questions

1. Explain the difference between a Docker container and an image.

o Answer: A Docker image is a read-only template used to create Docker

containers. Containers are instances of Docker images that can be executed
and run as isolated environments.

2. How do you create a Docker image?

o Answer: Using the docker build command. For example:

o docker build -t my_image .

3. Explain the Dockerfile.

o Answer: Dockerfile is a text file that contains instructions to build a Docker

image. It includes commands like FROM, RUN, COPY, CMD, etc.

4. How can you transfer files from your local system to a Docker container?

o Answer: Using the docker cp command. For example:

o docker cp local_file.txt container_id:/path/in/container

5. How do you list all Docker containers running on your system?

o Answer: Using the docker ps command. For example:

o docker ps

6. What command would you use to remove all stopped Docker containers?

o Answer: Using the docker container prune command. For example:

o docker container prune
7. Explain Docker networking and how you can connect containers.

o Answer: Docker networking allows containers to communicate with each

other and the outside world. You can connect containers using bridge
networks, overlay networks, or user-defined networks.

8. How do you expose ports in Docker containers?

o Answer: Using the -p or --publish flag with the docker run command. For
example:
o docker run -p 8080:80 my_container

9. What is Docker Compose, and how is it used?

o Answer: Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container

Docker applications. It uses a YAML file to configure the application's services
and dependencies.

10. How do you scale Docker containers horizontally?

o Answer: Using Docker Swarm or Kubernetes to manage multiple instances of

a container across multiple nodes.

11. Explain Docker volumes and their importance.

o Answer: Docker volumes are persistent data storage mechanisms that exist
outside the container's lifecycle. They are crucial for persisting data between
container restarts and for sharing data between containers.

12. How do you mount a host directory as a volume in a Docker container?

o Answer: Using the -v or --volume flag with the docker run command. For
example:
o docker run -v /host/directory:/container/directory my_container

13. What is Docker Swarm, and how does it work?

o Answer: Docker Swarm is a native clustering and orchestration tool for

Docker containers. It enables you to create a cluster of Docker hosts and
deploy services across them.

14. How do you update a Docker service in Docker Swarm?

o Answer: Using the docker service update command. For example:

o docker service update --image new_image:tag service_name
15. Explain Docker secrets and how they are used.

o Answer: Docker secrets are encrypted pieces of sensitive information, such as

passwords or API keys, that are securely stored and made available only to the
services that need them.

16. How do you manage Docker secrets?

o Answer: Using the docker secret command-line interface or Docker

Compose to create, inspect, and remove secrets.

17. Explain the concept of Docker overlay networks.

o Answer: Docker overlay networks facilitate communication between Docker

services running on different Docker nodes in a Swarm cluster. They provide
multi-host communication without requiring links between individual
containers.

18. How do you create an overlay network in Docker Swarm?

o Answer: Using the docker network create command with the --driver
overlay option. For example:
o docker network create --driver overlay my_overlay_network

19. Explain the concept of Docker logging drivers.

o Answer: Docker logging drivers determine where container logs are sent and
how they are formatted. They allow you to customize log handling based on
your application's needs.

20. How do you configure a logging driver for a Docker container?

o Answer: Using the --log-driver option with the docker run command. For
example:
o docker run --log-driver=syslog my_container

21. What is Docker health check, and why is it important?

o Answer: Docker health check is a feature that allows you to monitor the
health of a container and take action based on its status. It helps ensure the
reliability and availability of your applications.

22. How do you define a health check for a Docker container?

o Answer: Using the HEALTHCHECK instruction in the Dockerfile or the --health-

cmd option with the docker run command.
23. Explain Dockerfile best practices for building efficient images.

o Answer: Best practices include using multi-stage builds, minimizing the

number of layers, using .dockerignore files, and removing unnecessary
dependencies.

24. What is Docker multi-stage build, and how does it work?

o Answer: Docker multi-stage build is a feature that allows you to create

smaller and more efficient Docker images by using multiple build stages in a
single Dockerfile.

25. How do you remove unused Docker images from your system?

o Answer: Using the docker image prune command. For example:

o docker image prune

26. Explain Docker container orchestration and its benefits.

o Answer: Docker container orchestration involves managing the deployment,

scaling, and operation of containerized applications across a cluster of
machines. It provides benefits such as high availability, scalability, and ease of
management.

27. What is Docker registry, and how is it used?

o Answer: Docker registry is a repository for storing Docker images. It allows

users to push and pull images, making it easy to share and distribute
containerized applications.

28. How do you push a Docker image to a registry?

o Answer: Using the docker push command. For example:

o docker push registry.example.com/my_image

29. What is Docker content trust, and why is it important?

o Answer: Docker content trust is a security feature that allows you to verify the
integrity and authenticity of Docker images. It helps prevent the execution of
tampered or malicious images.

30. How do you enable Docker content trust?

o Answer: By setting the DOCKER_CONTENT_TRUST environment variable to 1. For

example:
o export DOCKER_CONTENT_TRUST=1
 31. Explain how you can troubleshoot Docker container performance issues.

o Answer: Troubleshooting Docker container performance issues involves

monitoring resource usage, analyzing logs, inspecting container

configurations, and using diagnostic tools like docker stats and docker inspect.

32. What is Docker Engine, and how does it work?

o Answer: Docker Engine is the core component of Docker that runs and
manages Docker containers. It includes a server (daemon), REST API, and
command-line interface.

33. How do you install Docker Engine on Linux?

o Answer: By following the official Docker documentation for your Linux

distribution.

34. What is Docker Machine, and what is it used for?

o Answer: Docker Machine is a tool for provisioning and managing Docker

hosts. It allows you to create Docker hosts on local machines, virtual
machines, or cloud providers.

35. How do you create a Docker Machine?

o Answer: Using the docker-machine create command. For example:

o docker-machine create --driver virtualbox my_machine

36. Explain Docker security best practices.

o Answer: Best practices include using trusted base images, minimizing the
attack surface, using Docker security features like content trust and user
namespaces, and regularly updating Docker components.

37. What is Docker stack, and how is it used?

o Answer: Docker stack is a tool for deploying and managing multi-service

Docker applications using Docker Compose files in Docker Swarm mode.

38. How do you deploy a Docker stack in Docker Swarm?

o Answer: Using the docker stack deploy command. For example:

o docker stack deploy -c docker-compose.yml my_stack
39. Explain the difference between Docker volumes and bind mounts.

o Answer: Docker volumes are managed by Docker and persist data outside the
container's lifecycle. Bind mounts link a directory or file on the host machine
to a directory in the container and are subject to filesystem permissions.

40. How do you secure Docker daemon with TLS certificates?

o Answer: By configuring Docker daemon with TLS certificates and enabling

TLS communication between Docker client and daemon.

41. Explain Docker CPU and memory constraints and how to set them.

o Answer: Docker CPU and memory constraints limit the amount of CPU and
memory a container can use. You can set them using the --cpus and --
memory options with the docker run command.

42. What is Docker Hub, and how is it used?

o Answer: Docker Hub is a cloud-based registry service provided by Docker. It

hosts public and private Docker images, making it easy to share and distribute
containerized applications.

43. How do you pull a Docker image from Docker Hub?

o Answer: Using the docker pull command. For example:

o docker pull my_image:tag

44. Explain Docker build caching and how it improves build performance.

o Answer: Docker build caching caches intermediate layers during the image
build process. It improves build performance by reusing cached layers for
unchanged build steps.

45. What is Docker image tagging, and why is it important?

o Answer: Docker image tagging is the process of assigning a label (tag) to a

Docker image. It helps identify different versions of an image and manage
image versions effectively.

46. How do you tag a Docker image?

o Answer: Using the docker tag command. For example:

o docker tag my_image:latest my_image:new_tag

47. Explain Docker restart policies and their significance.

o Answer: Docker restart policies define the behavior of a container when it

exits. They determine whether the container should be automatically restarted
and under what conditions.
48. How do you set a restart policy for a Docker container?

o Answer: Using the --restart option with the docker run command. For
example:
o docker run --restart=always my_container

49. What is Docker swarm mode, and how does it differ from standalone
Docker?

o Answer: Docker swarm mode enables native clustering and orchestration of

Docker containers across multiple hosts. It provides features like service
discovery, load balancing, and rolling updates, which are not available in
standalone Docker.

50. How do you enable Docker swarm mode?

o Answer: By initializing a swarm with the docker swarm init command on a

Docker host. For example:

docker swarm init