My main use case for Docker on CentOS is for running websites and backend services. I use Docker on CentOS for running websites, specifically for APIs and for running NGINX service.
I used Docker on CentOS for a microfinance application that had more than 16 services at that time for the backend. The logic was basically on Node.js, and I used all those microservices on Docker on CentOS. Later on, I used the same service on ECS Fargate.
The best features Docker on CentOS offers include its lightweight containers and fast startup. Whenever there was a scale-out required for the APIs, it was immediate, less than 10 seconds to boot up, which was very helpful for the microfinance services.
The fast startup and lightweight containers of Docker on CentOS were very helpful because earlier when we used to have these APIs running on the EC2 instances, many instances were required for those services, even though the code was very small. We had to use many EC2 instances instead of using microservices or micro containers like Docker. When we moved to Docker, the scale-out was very fast and very helpful for the business. The boot time with Docker was very less compared to the EC2 instances because running on the EC2 instances required more boot time for the OS, and there was a long delay due to the script execution for a few seconds.
Docker on CentOS has positively impacted my organization as it helped us grow the business, and the customer was very happy with the services, thus revolutionizing the business.
Docker on CentOS can be improved by being in sync with the OS updates. The OS is already very compatible with Docker, but it can enhance functionality similar to Kubernetes regarding container orchestration, allowing it to compete with other tools.
The metrics of the containers in Docker on CentOS can also be improved, along with the monitoring part which needs enhancement.
I have been using Docker on CentOS for the last four years.
I would advise others looking into using Docker on CentOS that rather than using their services directly on the EC2 instances which costs higher and take more time to boot up, they should go with Docker containers, which are very fast, easy to deploy, and manage, allowing many services to run on the same EC2 instance without dependencies. If a service needs Node.js version 7 and another needs Node.js version 10, there might be conflicts when running directly on EC2 instances, but with Docker containers, these issues do not arise. Moving to microservices like Docker is the best choice rather than directly installing on the EC2 instances. I have covered all the important areas regarding Docker on CentOS. My overall rating for Docker on CentOS is 9 out of 10.