What happened? VM is gone Docker is in? What is Docker?

[jowi]

I'm not a regular visitor on the forum, once every few months or so i try to read up a bit. I was pretty anxious when i read V6 was gonna be totally different, with the support for vm's using xen etc. I tried to read up a bit, to get over my initial worries, even installed a testmachine using one of the first v6 beta's, just to get a general idea about what all the fuzz was about. Must say it was pretty cool, running each app/plugin in a separate VM etc. 'much better' everyone said. 'Much safer'. 'this is the future!' everyone said. I though, ok, this is where things are heading, be ready. So i left things where they were, using 5.0.5 myself. Waiting for some more evolved version, or even a final v6.

 

But now, i'm trying to read up on things but i have no idea what happened? The whole VM thingy is abandoned? Is that correct? And now 'docker' is the best thing ever?

Not to be blunt, but... why? And what IS docker, why is it better then vm's xen etc? Is there a docker-for-dummies somewhere?

[dlandon]

Docker, Xen and KVM are all available in v6.  Docker is a way to install and run pre-configured applications.

[jowi]

Ok, i've looked at some Docker info, so do i understand it correctly that apps like sabznbd etc would now preferrably be installed as docker containers and not as 'old' plugins anymore? Is that the added value?

 

The VM's were praised over plugins because this way the apps on different VM's could not interfere with each other, is that still true for docker containers?

 

What if two apps, like sabnzbd and sickbeard, should communicate with each other, and they are both separate docker containers, is that still possible?

 

And the VM system could be used if you want to host an entire OS or more on unraid, is that correct?

[johnodon]

What if two apps, like sabnzbd and sickbeard, should communicate with each other, and they are both separate docker containers, is that still possible?

 

I (as well as a lot of users here) have NZBGet, NZBDrone, Sickbeard, CouchPotato, Headphines, etc. running in Docker containers and they interact will each other as you would expect on any other platform.  In fact, they all use the same IP (unRAID)  but with different ports so it is never a challenge to remember which IP belongs to which VM/client.

 

unRAID:  192.168.1.25:80

NZBGet:  192.168.1.25:6789

NZBDrone:  192.168.1.25:8989

 

etc...

 

It really does perform beautifully.  I really love the fact that if you run into an issue, you copy out your config, delete the container, rebuild it and copy your config back.

 

John

[dmacias]

 

 

Ok, i've looked at some Docker info, so do i understand it correctly that apps like sabznbd etc would now preferrably be installed as docker containers and not as 'old' plugins anymore? Is that the added value?

 

The VM's were praised over plugins because this way the apps on different VM's could not interfere with each other, is that still true for docker containers?

 

What if two apps, like sabnzbd and sickbeard, should communicate with each other, and they are both separate docker containers, is that still possible?

 

And the VM system could be used if you want to host an entire OS or more on unraid, is that correct?

 

Personally I prefer the kvm system with my apps running on a ubuntu server vm. I can control the vcpus, memory and apps better and it's completely isolated. I do have the config locations setup so I can move to dockers and have switched in the past.

 

And the apps on vms wasn't so they couldn't interfere with each other. It was so they had a package manager and their dependencies wouldn't interfere with each other.

 

But either way both are preferred over plugins.  But phaze is handling most of the plugins so interference is at a minimum.

[archedraft]

+1 for KVM ubuntu server. Super easy to control and make changes too. A billion guides on the interwebs for anything you want to do. I also have had zero issues with kvm every time a new beta comes. It also seems like someone's docker is getting messed up for some reason or other on unRAID updates (not trying to start a war or anything but just an observation).

[sgibbers17]

I also have not been keeping up on the v6 kvm development, I know it still is in v6 right now but is it still being developed or has it taken a back seat to docker?  I ask because I need pass through for my TV tuner cards and last I checked I need a Hypervisor like ESXi or kvm to do so, I also want to run a Windows 8 VM.

[itimpi]

At the moment Docker is the recommended way to for add-ins where previously you would have plugins.  It is expected that at some point it will be possible to have a boot option that does not have VM support, but still has Docker..

 

VM's are there who want to run a full OS and both KVM and Xen are there as VM options selectable at boot time, with KVM being the default (preferred?) VM type at the moment (although that is subject to change).

[jowi]

Ok, so basically, when all my current plugins are available as docker containers, i should be able to boot the latest v6 beta, and 'rebuild' my current setup?

 

Can i do this with my current unraid 5.0.6 server, i mean make a copy of the usb disk, replace 5.0.6 with the v6 beta,  and testdrive v6?

It is important to be able to revert to my current 5.0.6 server...