Ask HN: Should I use Docker?

2 points by hacknrk 9y ago ↗ HN

I am building an internal server for my company in Flask. As of now I have successfully deployed it to a Digital Ocean droplet, configured nginx and WSGI and got it running. Another developer is building a React app to interact with my server's API which I think I will deploy on the same droplet too. Because it's just an internal app, I only use one droplet. I don't know whether I should use Docker to containerize both the server and client apps or just put them on the same machine as two monolithic applications. I heard the good practice these days is to use Docker and microservices but I don't want to overengineer things.

4 comments

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atsaloli 9y ago ↗

Have you got any problems with your current setup?

hacknrk 9y ago ↗

Currently no, but I want to structure it in a maintainable way.

atsaloli 9y ago ↗

I understand. Still, if it ain't broke...

Check out Max Kanat-Alexander's piece on over-engineering (10 minute Google video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxyOng0-14

In other words, if you're not having maintainability issues with it now, leave it be... once you start having issues, you can re-design (when you actually need it). =)

allsunny 9y ago ↗

There will be a bit of "yak shaving" up front to get it working in the container but I think it's probably worth it over the long run. The main benefit is that you can be sure that the environment you develop in locally will be the same as what is deployed in the wild. As you share your code/application with other developers (which it sounds like you're starting to do) this will become more and more important. Just make sure you're writing your application to be "cloud native" up front (e.g. put your configuration parameters in environment variables)