- You are the network administrator for a company that has decided to start using Windows containers. You download the wrong image from Docker. What command allows you to delete an image?
A. docker del
B. docker rm
C. docker kill
D. docker dl - You are the network administrator for a company that has decided to start using Windows containers. You want to create a new container. What command should you use?
A. docker create
B. docker build container
C. docker new
D. docker build - You are the network administrator for a company that has decided to start using Windows containers. You have built a number of containers. What PowerShell command allows you to view them?
A. docker view
B. docker see
C. View- Container
D. Get- Container - You are the network administrator for a company that has decided to start using Windows containers. You have created some images. What command allows you to see your images?
A. docker images
B. docker info
C. docker view
D. docker see - You are the administrator for an organization that has started using containers. You need to build and use a Dockerfile. You want to compile and create an image using the Dockerfile.
What command do you use?
A. Docker run
B. Docker rm
C. Docker build
D. Docker compile - You are the administrator for an organization that has started using containers. You need to build and use a Dockerfile. You want to execute commands within the Dockerfile. What command should you use?
A. Docker run
B. Docker rm
C. Docker build
D. Docker compile - You are the network administrator for a company that has decided to start using Windows containers. You want to delete a container. What PowerShell command allows you to do that?
A. docker delete
B. docker kill container
C. Remove- Container
D. Delete- docker- Container - You are the administrator for an organization that has started using containers. You need to build a new image using Windows Server Core. What command would you use to get a Windows Server Core image?
A. Docker run microsoft/windowsservercore
B. docker pull microsoft/windowsservercore
C. Docker build microsoft/windowsservercore
D. Docker get microsoft/windowsservercore - You have a Windows Server 2022 server named Server1. Server1 has the Web Server (IIS) server role installed. Server1 hosts an ASP.NET Core web app named WebApp1 and the app’s source files. You install Docker on Server1. You want to ensure that you can deploy WebApp1 to an Azure App Service web app from the Azure Container Registry. Which three actions should you perform in sequence? (Choose three.)
A. Run the docker push command.
B. Run the docker run command.
C. Run the docker build command.
D. Create a Dockerfile.
E. Run the docker pull command. - How do you add another virtual disk to an Azure virtual machine?
A. Use the Virtual Hard Disk Wizard.
B. Use the Edit Virtual Hard Disk Wizard.
C. Choose Disks from the VM options.
D. Use the New Virtual Machine Wizard.
Using the Web Application Proxy – Building an Azure Infrastructure
In my career, I have had the pleasure to work with a lot of new IT people. One thing that I like to stress to new IT people is that even the IT department has clients. For many corporate employees, they have clients that they are responsible for. For example, salespeople are responsible for working with the customers of the company.
But it’s the same in IT. Our customers are our employees. The better our network works, the more our customers (our end users) can do and the easier we can make their job. One of the tasks that we can set up to help our end users is single sign- on (SSO). SSO allows your users to log into one network and automatically get access to another network. For example, SSO allows our users to log into one network (onsite) and have access to the Azure cloud network without having to enter a new username or password.
Azure Active Directory’s Application Proxy provides secure remote access to web applications that are located on your local onsite network. Because of SSO, users can sign into Azure AD and then they will have access to both cloud- based and onsite applications. This is possible through an external URL or an internal application portal.
Azure AD, along with an Azure Application Proxy, allows users to access onsite web applications from a remote client. Application Proxy uses an Azure Application Proxy service that runs in the cloud and an Application Proxy connector that runs on an onsite server. The process requires that you use Azure AD, the Application Proxy service, and the Application Proxy connector. All three components work together to securely pass the user’s sign- on token from Azure AD to the onsite web application.
Application Proxy was designed to allow Azure users to access onsite web applications. It is designed to work with the following:
■ Web applications that use Integrated Windows authentication
■ Web applications that use form- based or header-b ased access
■ Web APIs that you want to expose to rich applications on different devices
■ Applications hosted behind a Remote Desktop Gateway
■ Rich client apps that are integrated with the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL)
Application Proxy is an excellent option for giving remote users access to internal onsite resources. It allows your users to connect remotely to web applications without the need of a VPN or reverse proxy. It is not intended for internal users on the corporate network. Internal onsite users should already have access to the onsite web applications. If onsite users use Application Proxy, it can cause performance issues, so only remote users who are connected to the Azure network should use it.
Understanding the Azure Relay Service
In today’s fast- moving technology world, one of the issues that we all must face is security and the threat of cyberattacks, ransomware, and all other types of malware. One major factor that we must all consider when building a network is security.
The Azure Relay Service allows you to securely execute services that run in your corporate network to the public cloud. You can configure the Azure Relay Service without opening a port on your firewall or without making intrusive changes to your corporate network infrastructure. The service supports multiple scenarios between onsite services and the applications that run in the cloud or in another onsite environment.
The Azure Relay Service is different from other network technologies such as VPN. You can configure the Azure Relay Service to a single application endpoint on a single machine.
If your IT department decides to install a VPN for all of its users, the IT department has to make sure the network is properly configured for VPN access. Also, anyone who has VPN access can use that access to connect to part of or the entire network.
The Azure Relay Service does not require changing the physical network. You can set up the service to communicate to a single address. Here are the steps that are used in the Azure Relay Service:
- Using an outbound port, an on-p remises service can connect to the relay service directly.
- The Azure Relay Service creates a bidirectional socket for communication tied to a particular address.
- The client can then communicate with the onsite service by sending traffic to the Azure Relay Service targeting that address.
- The Azure Relay Service then relays the data to the onsite service through the bidirectional socket dedicated to the client. The client doesn’t need a direct connection to the onsite service.
Exam Essentials
Using Azure Arc
One really nice advantage of Azure is the ability to use, or not use, any of the available services and tools. Most cloud-b ased networks are consumption based. The more services that you use, the more you pay. But for many companies, not all features or services will be needed when setting up your Azure network. This is the category that Azure Arc falls under.
Azure Arc is an Azure service that may greatly help your company, especially if your company creates and uses applications that you build internally. For any organization that develops their own software or services, Azure Arc can be a great feature. It allows a company of any size to easily secure, develop, and operate infrastructure, apps, and Azure services from anywhere. Azure Arc helps you extend the Azure platform so that you can build applications and services with the flexibility to run across datacenters, at the edge, and in multicloud environments. This allows your developers to build cloud- based applications with a consistent development, operations, and security model.
If your organization uses developers and you would like more information about using Azure Arc, please feel free to check out Microsoft’s website:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en- us/products/azure- arc.
Summary
In this chapter, you learned about Windows containers. Windows containers are brand-n ew technology to Windows Server 2022 or some versions of Windows 10/11. You learned how to install, configure, and maintain your Windows containers. We also discussed the components needed to work with containers.
I then showed you some exercises for configuring Windows Server 2022 containers and how to download and work with image files. These image files can be used to create Windows and Hyper- V containers.
I also showed you how to build and configure Azure virtual machines. Setting up a virtual network can be less expensive and an easy way for a company of any size to quickly and easily build an entire network in the cloud.
Finally, I explained various services and roles that you can use to help secure and access your virtual network and your onsite network.
Exam Essentials
Understand Windows containers. Windows containers work a lot like virtual machines except that when you build a virtual machine, you need all of the services that make that VM run properly. Windows containers are fast operating system builds that allow you to run applications in their own environment.
Know the PowerShell commands used for containers. The Microsoft exams are going to focus on PowerShell commands. Make sure you know the PowerShell commands that are used for Docker and containers.
Understand Docker technology. Understand that Docker is the technology that is used to manage and maintain Windows containers. There are preset images on Docker that you can pull down and run. Microsoft also has preset Docker images that you can use and manipulate.
Know the different docker switches. Know how docker switches are used. Know that you run docker switches in PowerShell or at an elevated command prompt.
Understand virtual networks and virtual hard disks. Virtual networks and hard disks are the two most tested topics. You definitely should know the types of virtual networks available (external, internal only, and private virtual network) as well as all types of virtual hard disks (dynamically expanding, fixed size, differential, and physical or pass- through). You should be able to apply the correct one when needed. Be familiar with the Edit Virtual Hard Disk Wizard, which is a good source for exam questions.
Understanding Additional Infrastructure Components – Building an Azure Infrastructure
As I have previously stated, one of Azure’s best advantages is the ability to create and manage a network in the cloud. You need another server to run as a file server? Just create and configure another Azure VM on the spot. There’s no need to purchase or set up any new equipment and no need to front thousands of dollars for new equipment.
Just as with an onsite network, there are other infrastructure components and roles that you need to install to help ensure that your network is accessible by your employees but not accessible to hackers.
Additional Azure Services and Roles
In today’s networking world, there are two main ways to set up a network. You can purchase physical equipment and build your network or you can build your network as a virtual network. Azure Virtual WAN is a networking service that brings many networking, security, and routing functionalities together to provide a single operational interface.
Building a network is like building a house. You don’t have a house if all you do is pour a foundation. For a house to be a livable home, you need to install doors, windows, plumbing, and electricity.
When you build a network, just running cabling throughout the office does not give you a network. It’s not a network until you install your servers, set up your shares, create your users, set roles and permissions, and install additional components.
These types of components can include things like using firewalls, routers, proxy, or NAT services, along with other components. One of the advantages of using Azure is that all of these components can be set up and used in the Azure Virtual WAN.
Let’s explore some of the additional Azure services and roles that you can add to your cloud network.
Depending on your organization, not all of these services are required. Also, your organization may need to use some Azure services that are not listed here. To learn more about all of the available Azure services and components, please visit Microsoft’s website at http://azure .microsoft.com/en- us/products.
Using the Remote Access Role
The DirectAccess Remote Client Management deployment uses DirectAccess to maintain clients over the Internet. Windows Server 2022 took the best of Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2012 and combined DirectAccess and Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) VPN into a single Remote Access role.
Understanding Additional Infrastructure Components
The Remote Access Role is installed and uninstalled by using Windows PowerShell or from the Server Manager console (on VMs or Servers). The Remote Access role consists of two components:
■ DirectAccess and Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS) VPN: DirectAccess and VPN are managed in the Remote Access Management console.
■ RRAS: Features are managed in the Routing and Remote Access console.
The Remote Access server role is dependent on the following features:
■ Web Server (IIS): Required to configure the network location server and default web probe
■ Windows internal database: Used for local accounting on the Remote Access server
If your organization is looking at implanting DirectAccess, I recommend that you visit Microsoft’s website at http://learn.microsoft.com/ en- us/windows- server/remote/remote- access/ras/ manage- remote- access.
Using the Azure Network Adapter
One advantage of using Azure is the ability for your end users or clients to access your cloud- based network from anywhere in the world. Basically, if you have Internet access and the proper permissions, you can access the Azure network.
Azure allows you to set up and use the Azure Network Adapter. The Azure Network Adapter lets you connect remotely to your virtual network. You can access your Azure network from any remote location, such as a remote office, hotel, or any location with Internet access.
You can also configure and use the Azure Network Adapter instead of a site- to- site VPN. This can be very useful when you need to connect only a few servers to the virtual network. Azure Network Adapter connections don’t require a VPN device or even a public- facing IP address.
If you want to allow access to a virtual network, setting up an Azure Network Adapter requires the following components:
■ An account connected to at least one active Azure subscription
■ A current virtual network
■ Internet access between your Azure virtual network and the servers that you want to connect
■ Current version of the Windows Admin Center that has the ability to connect to Azure To configure an Azure Network Adapter, in the Windows Admin Center, choose Networks under Tools, and then follow these steps:
- Open the Windows Admin Center.
- Choose the VMs that you want to add to the Azure Network Adapter.
- Under Tools, select Networks.
- Select Add Azure Network Adapter.
- In the Add Azure Network Adapter pane, configure the options that you want to use and then click Create.
If your Azure setup doesn’t have an Azure Virtual Network Gateway, the Windows
Admin Center will automatically create a gateway for you. The actual setup can take up to 25–30 minutes, so be sure to plan the deployment carefully. Give yourself enough time to ensure that everything is ready before you start trying to make connections. Once the connection is complete, you will be able to access the virtual machines directly.
Understanding Azure Extended Network
As a director of IT, trainer, and consultant for over 30 years, I can tell you that one of the hardest things for IT people to learn is the Internet Protocol (IP). Configuring and maintaining an IP network can be confusing to many IT people. But IP is not a hard topic to learn once someone shows you how easy it is to configure.
One part of IP that can be difficult is the practice of subnetting a network. To understand using an Azure Extended Network, you must first understand subnetting. Think of IP subnetting as a large open warehouse. The warehouse is wide open (no walls or doors inside the warehouse). This is an example of setting up an IP network where everyone is on the same IP network. There are no segmented offices or rooms. Everyone works in the same open warehouse together.
Say the company has decided that they want to separate the warehouse into conference rooms. Each conference room will be used only by the department (sales, marketing, etc.) that owns that room. So, you build your walls and segment the warehouse into multiple conference rooms. Each room is assigned to a specific group of people based on their department. Users have to work in their conference room only. They can access any other room, but they work in their department’s conference room. This is an example of subnetting a network.
When an IP network is not subnetted, every user on the network is part of the same IP network. If I decide that I need to subnet my network, I will install routers and turn the large network into a bunch of smaller networks. This is called subnetting.
As I stated earlier, building a subnetted network is not easy for most IT people. Now, let’s take it to the next level. Think about building a network and subnetting that network; now you need to add Azure as part of your IP network. This adds a whole new level of issues that you can run into. This is where Azure Extended Network comes into play. Azure Extended Network allows you to extend an onsite subnet to an Azure cloud network. That way, onsite virtual machines retain their original onsite private IP addresses when migrating to Azure.
Understanding Additional Infrastructure Components
Azure Extended Network lets you extend the onsite network to Azure by using a bidirectional VXLAN tunnel. You set the VXLAN tunnel between two Windows Server 2022 VMs. The 2022 VMs act as a virtual appliance, with one VM running onsite and the other VM running in Azure. Each VM also needs to be connected to the subnet that you want to extend. Every subnet that you are going to extend requires one pair of appliances. Multiple subnets can be extended using multiple VM pairs.
Extended networks are not something that is required or even recommended unless you are having a very specific issue migrating servers to Azure. Once you decide that your organization is migrating to Azure, you may run into a situation where an onsite server/VM needs to keep its original IP address. The Azure network may not use the same IP scheme that you had configured onsite.
Extended Network for Azure should only be configured and used for machines that cannot have their IP address changed when migrating to Azure. If possible, it is always better to change the IP address and connect it to the subnet that exists in Azure.
Azure Extended Networks allow you to configure up to 250 IP addresses. You can anticipate a combined throughput of about 700 Mbps. This throughput will also depend on the virtual machine components. One of the variables that can affect throughput is CPU speed of the VMs that are being used as the Azure virtual appliances.
Configure Azure VM Settings – Building an Azure Infrastructure
In this section, you will get an overview of just some of the available Azure virtual machine settings. You can configure all of these settings by using the Azure portal, PowerShell, Azure CLI, or the Windows Admin Center.
The Azure Virtual Machine Settings page includes the following settings:
Networking The Networking section (shown in Figure 12.25) allows you to set up and configure the Inbound Rules, Outbound Rules, Application Security Groups, and Load Balancing settings. Setting Inbound and Outbound rules can help protect your network by stopping unauthorized traffic.
FIGURE 12.25 VM Networking settings
Connect The Connect section allows you to configure which protocols that you want to use to connect to the virtual machine. Here you can specify the protocols (RDP, SSH, and Bastion) that you want to use to connect to the VM.
Windows Admin Center The Windows Admin Center is a utility that allows you to manage servers, clients, clustering, and Azure VMs. The Windows Admin Center can be deployed in two different ways.
You can download the Windows Admin Center for free directly from Microsoft and then install it onto a server or a Windows client (Windows 10/11).
Also, Azure allows you to use the Windows Admin Center directly from Azure. There is no need to install the Windows Admin Center into Azure. By clicking the Windows Admin Center link, you can configure your settings and connect to your servers. Disks The Disks setting section allows you to create and manage your virtual machine hard drives. The Disks settings let you attach an existing or create a new virtual hard disk. You can also click the Additional Settings link to configure the virtual hard disk encryption.
Size One of the best advantages of using Azure is the ability to quickly and easily change the size of your VM based on the needs for CPU, network, or disk performance (see Figure 12.26). Remember, the more resources that you add to the VM, the more it’s going to cost your organization.
FIGURE 12.26 VM Size settings
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Microsoft Defender for Cloud constantly examines the configuration of your virtual machines to identify possible security vulnerabilities and recommends actions to help solve the issues.
Advisor Recommendations The Azure VM Advisor delivers relevant best practices so that an administrator can improve reliability, security, and performance, and reduce costs. You can target a specific server, resource, resource group, or subscription to verify that the servers and services are running to get the best performance. Access the Advisor through the Azure portal, the Azure CLI, or the Advisor API.
Extensions + Applications Azure Virtual Machine Extensions are smaller applications that run on Azure VMs. Azure Virtual Machine Extensions allow post- deployment configuration and automation of the Azure VMs. Azure has many different extensions that allow you to set up configuring, monitoring, security, and utility applications. You just need to provide mandatory parameters. You can view the available extensions by choosing a VM, then selecting Extensions from the left menu.
Azure VM extensions can be managed using the Azure CLI, PowerShell, Resource Manager templates, and the Azure portal. To try an extension, go to the Azure portal, select the Custom Script Extension, then pass in a command or script to run the extension.
Azure Virtual Machine Configuration – Building an Azure Infrastructure
This section explains how to create and manage Azure virtual machines. Setting up an Azure virtual machine is much easier than setting up a server in Hyper-V . When you build a new virtual machine in Hyper- V, you create the virtual machine and then you install the guest operating system. So, if I wanted to create a new Windows Server 2022 VM, I would create the new virtual machine in Hyper- V. Once that is done, I would start the VM and install Windows Server 2022.
When you choose the guest operating system in Azure, the operating system is automatically created after you set your option— no need to install the actual server software. Azure builds the VM exactly as you want it built. You choose the disk size, management options, networking options, advanced options, and then choose to create the VM. Microsoft will give you all the information that you need so that you can remote into the VM. Once you are logged into the VM, you can then work on the server the same way you work on any other VM.
Creating a Virtual Machine in Azure
There’s one very important thing to consider when building virtual machines or anything in Azure: Azure is a consumption- based model. This means the more you use, the more you pay. Be careful. As you are building the VM and see all the available options, be sure to choose only what you need.
When you’re working in Azure, you’re going to feel like a kid in a candy store. Everything they offer looks good and they always try to make you think that you need the extras. But for every extra option that you choose, your monthly charges increase.
Exercise 12.5 will walk you through the process of building a new VM in Azure. We will build a new VM with Windows Server 2022 Datacenter as the guest operating system. The creation process is simple, as Exercise 12.5 demonstrates. If there are any fields that you are not sure about setting, click the information icon (the small circle with an I in the center). This will explain what that option does for your setup.
EXERCISE 12.5
Creating an Azure Virtual Machine
- Log into the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com.
- Choose Deploy A Virtual Machine, as shown in Figure 12.16.
FIGURE 12.16 Deploy a virtual machine
3. We are going to create a new Windows VM. Click the Create button under Create A Windows Virtual Machine (see Figure 12.17).
FIGURE 12.17 Create the Windows VM
4. The Create A Virtual Machine screen opens. On this screen (see Figure 12.18), we can choose which subscription we will add to this VM. You also name your virtual machine (I used WinSrv2022 as my VM name), choose your region, image (the operating system you want to use), admin username and password, and other information. Fill in all the fields and the region. Once all the fields are completed, we can create the VM or we can choose the components for the VM (disks, network, etc.) that we want to set up. We are going to go through each screen, but I will leave the defaults for the rest of my options.
Click the Next: Disks button.
FIGURE 12.18 Create A Virtual Machine page
5. On the Disks page (shown in Figure 12.19), review the disk information. Make any changes for your VM. I am leaving the defaults. After you choose your disk options, click Next: Networking.
FIGURE 12.19 VM Disks page
6. On the Networking page (see Figure 12.20), you can choose your virtual network, IP address, NIC security, and any ports that can connect to this VM. Once you have made your choices, click Next: Management.
FIGURE 12.20 Networking page
7. On the Management page, choose the options that you want set for your VM and then click Next: Monitoring.
8. On the Monitoring page, you can choose to set up alert rules and diagnostic data (see Figure 12.21). Make any changes that you wish and then click Next: Advanced.
FIGURE 12.21 Monitoring page
9. On the Advanced page, you can choose if you want any applications automatically installed, scripts, user settings for accessing the VM, and other VM settings. Choose any additional options and then click Next: Tags.
10. The Tags page will appear. Tags are user- defined key- value pairs that can be directly placed on a resource or a resource group. Azure currently supports up to 50 tags per resource and resource group. Tags may be placed on a resource at the time of creation or added to an existing resource. Once you choose your Tags options, click the Next: Review And Create button.
11. On the Review and Create page, review all the options that you chose. If everything is correct, click Create. The VM will be created (as shown in Figure 12.22).
FIGURE 12.22 Deployment Is In Progress page
12. Once the VM is created, you will see a screen stating that your deployment is complete (as shown in Figure 12.23). Click the Go To Resource button. The VM is built and ready to start. You can start the VM, connect to the guest operating system, and start your server.
FIGURE 12.23 Your Deployment Is Complete
After the virtual machine is created, you will be shown the information for your new Azure virtual server (see Figure 12.24). Make sure you copy or print this information. As part of the information presented, you will be given an IP address so that you can use options like Remote Desktop to make the connection. I will be deleting this VM but I still used xxxx over my private information for this VM.
Using Docker Hub Repository – Building an Azure Infrastructure
Another nice advantage of using containers is that there are hundreds of images that you can use. Docker has a public database of images that you can access. The Docker Hub repository has images for Microsoft, Unix, Linux, and hundreds more. If you want to see what a vendor has out on the repository, just type docker search vendorname. To see what Microsoft has for you in the repository, type docker search Microsoft (see Figure 12.15).
FIGURE 12.15 docker search Microsoft command
You can set up a private repository so that coworkers can share and use the images that you create. After you create your images using the Docker daemon, you can push those images to your corporate Docker Hub repository. You can add users and accounts to the Docker Hub to verify that only your organization’s users are accessing the images.
If you are building images and placing those images on GitHub or Bitbucket, you can use the automatic build repository that is included with the Docker Hub service.
When you are ready to start uploading corporate images to the Docker Hub, create a Docker Hub user account (https://cloud.docker.com). After you have created your account, click the Create menu and choose Create Repository.
You will then be asked to enter a Docker ID namespace for your organization. The repository name must be unique, and it can be up to 255 characters. The namespace will only allow letters, numbers, or the dash (- ) and underscore (_). You are then asked to enter a short description (100 characters or less) and a dull description. Click Create and you are finished.
After your repository is created, you can push images to the repository by putting in the name of your image, your Docker Hub username, the repository name that you created earlier, and the image tag. The following is an example of the docker push command:
docker push <hub- user>/<repo-n ame>:<tag>
Using Microsoft Azure for Images
Azure containers allow you to easily create, configure, and manage your virtual machine containers. The Azure Container Service uses open source scheduling and management tools. By using open source tools, the Azure Container Service connects you with thousands of other users who are also designing, building, and maintaining container images.
Azure administrators have the ability to manage containers at scale with a managed Kubernetes container management and orchestration service that integrates with Azure Active Directory.
Azure includes the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). AKS allows you to quickly and easily start developing and deploying cloud- native apps in Azure, datacenters, or at the edge with built- in code- to- cloud pipelines and guardrails.
AKS gives you the ability to have a unified management and governance system for onsite, edge, and multicloud Kubernetes clusters. You can interoperate with Azure security, identity, cost management, and migration services.
The Azure Container Service uses the Docker format, but it is also compatible with Marathon, DC/OS, Kubernetes, or Docker Swarm. Because the Azure Container Service works with all of these different formats, you can work with thousands of applications and images. But since this is Microsoft Azure’s platform, you get all of the security benefits and features that Azure has to offer.
To set up the Azure Container Service, you must first set up an Azure Container Service cluster through the Azure portal. Once you have entered the portal, use the Azure Resource Manager template for Docker Swarm, DC/OS, and Kubernetes, or use the Azure CLI.
Table 12.5 shows which Azure service you need depending on the container that you want to install. This table was taken directly from Microsoft’s website. For more information, please visit https://azure.microsoft.com/en- us/products/ category/containers.
Using PowerShell for Containers
TABLE 12.5 Azure service and container options
| Goal | Azure Option to Use |
| Deploy and scale containers on managed Kubernetes | Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) |
| Deploy and scale containers on managed Red Hat OpenShift | Azure Red Hat OpenShift |
| Build and deploy modern apps and microservices using serverless containers | Azure Container Apps |
| Execute event- driven, serverless code with an end- to- end development experience | Azure Functions |
| Run containerized web apps on Windows and Linux | Web App for Containers |
| Launch containers with hypervisor isolation | Azure Container Instances |
| Deploy and operate always-o n, scalable, distributed apps | Azure Service Fabric |
| Build, store, secure, and replicate container images and artifacts | Azure Container Registry |
Using PowerShell for Containers
Table 12.6 contains just some of the PowerShell commands available for using containers and Docker.
TABLE 12.6 PowerShell commands
| Add- ContainerNetworkAdapter | This command allows you to add a virtual network adapter to a container. |
| Connect- ContainerNetworkAdapter | You can use this command to connect a virtual network adapter to a virtual switch. |
| Disconnect- ContainerNetworkAdapter | This command allows you to disconnect a virtual network adapter from a virtual switch. |
| Export- ContainerImage | You can use this command to export a container image to a file. |
TABLE 12.6 PowerShell commands (Continued)
| Get- Container | This command allows you to view information about containers. | ||
| Get- ContainerHost | This command allows you to view information about the host. | ||
| Get- ContainerImage | You can use this command to view local container images. | ||
| Get- ContainerNetworkAdapter | You can use this command to view the virtual network adapter of a container. | ||
| Import- ContainerImage | You can use this command to import a container image from a file. | ||
| Install- ContainerOSImage | This command allows you to install the operating system image to a base container. | ||
| Install- Module | You can use this command to download a module from an online gallery. This module can then be installed on the local computer. | ||
| Install- Package | You can use this command to install a software package on a computer. | ||
| Install- PackageProvider | This command allows you to install a Package Management package provider. | ||
| Move- ContainerImageRepository | You can use this command to move the local container image repository. | ||
| New- Container | This command allows you to create a container image from an existing container. | ||
| Remove- Container | You can use this command to delete a container. | ||
| Remove- ContainerImage | This command allows you to remove a container image. | ||
| Remove- ContainerNetworkAdapter | This command allows you to removes a virtual network adapter from a container. | ||
| Restart- Computer | You can use this command to restart a local and remote computer. | ||
| PowerShell command | Description | ||
| Set- ContainerNetworkAdapter | You can use this command to configure the features of the virtual network adapter within a container. | ||
| Start- Container | You can use this command to start a container. | ||
| Stop- Container | You can use this command to stop a container. | ||
| Test- ContainerImage | This command allows you to test for issues with a container image. | ||
| Uninstall- ContainerOSImage | You can use this command to uninstall the container operating system image. | ||
Creating New Images Using Dockerfiles – Building an Azure Infrastructure
One nice advantage of using Docker is that you can go to Docker’s website and look at the different images that are available. There are images for operating systems, applications, and software.
But what if you can’t find an image that you need? Well, then you can build your own images using Dockerfiles. When you install Docker, the Docker engine includes tools that the IT department can use to create Dockerfiles. Dockerfiles are just text files that are manually created, and they are compiled and turned into an image file.
If your organization decides that they want to build their own Dockerfiles, then they will get some benefits while doing just that. Some of the advantages of building your own Dockerfiles are as follows:
■ You can store images as code.
■ You can re-c reate images rapidly that can then be used for maintenance and upgrade cycles.
■ You can customize your Dockerfiles to reflect your organization’s needs.
The Docker installation includes components that you can use to create your own Dockerfiles. These two Docker components are the Docker engine and the compiler (docker build command).
If you have ever built INI files or even a host file, then you understand how building a file can work. As with many programming codes or INI files, you can use the pound sign (#) to show comments in the file. This is very useful.
Many years ago, before I got into networking, I was a programmer. One thing that most programmers hate is when you look at someone else’s coding and you have no idea what they were doing. When a coder takes the time to put in comments so that anyone can follow
them and work on the code, it makes following that coder a thousand times easier. This is what the comments in the Dockerfile do. Use the pound sign (#) for making comments and state exactly why each line is included so that someone following you understands what the code is doing, or if someone is trying to learn what you do.
Let’s take a look at an example of a Dockerfile:
# Sample Dockerfile for WillPanek # We will be using Windows Server Core as our base image.
FROM microsoft/windowsservercore # Uses dism.exe to install the DNS role.
RUN dism.exe /online /enable-f eature /all /featurename: : DNS- Server-F ull- Role /NoRestart
# Sets a command or process that will run each time a container is run from the new image. CMD [ “cmd” ]
Let’s break down some of the different sections that you can configure. Table 12.4 shows some of the configuration settings that you can use.
TABLE 12.4 Dockerfile commands
Add This setting will copy new files, directories or remote file URLs from a source (<src>) location to the filesystem of the image destination <dest>.
CMD This setting specifies the default commands that will be executed when deploying the container image.
Copy This setting will copy new files or directories from a source (<src>) location to the filesystem of the image destination <dest>.
Escape This setting is used to escape characters in a line and to escape a newline. Nor-
mally the Escape command is followed by the character that will represent a new line. For example: escape=\. This means that when a \ (backslash) is in the file, it will represent a new line.
ENV This setting allows you to add an environmental variable.
Expose This setting tells Docker that the container is listening on the specified network ports during runtime.
From This setting shows the location of the container image that will be used during the image creation process.
Label This setting adds metadata to an image.
Onbuild This setting allows you to set a trigger that gets executed when the image is used as the base for another build.
CommandDescription
| Run | This setting specifies what commands are to be run in the Dockerfile process. These commands can include software installation and file, directory, and environment creation. |
| User | This setting allows you to set up a user’s account that will be used during the runtime. |
| Volume | This setting allows you to create a mount point and externally mounted volumes from host systems or other containers. |
| Workdir | This setting allows you to set the working directory that will be used during the runtime. |
Understanding Hyper- V Containers
So far in this chapter we have discussed Windows containers, but now we are going to look at Hyper- V containers. As I stated earlier, Windows containers share the system’s kernel between all containers and the host. Hyper- V containers are different because each Hyper-V container uses its own instance of the Windows kernel. Since Hyper- V containers use their own instance of the Windows kernel, you can use different versions of Windows between the host system and the image version.
Also, the Windows host system needs to have the Microsoft Hyper-V role installed. Windows Server 2022 and Windows 10/11 Professional and Enterprise (Anniversary Editions) both allow you to create containers in Hyper- V.
The one nice feature is that both container types, Windows containers and Hyper-V containers, are created, managed, and function the exact same way. The only difference is that the Hyper-V containers have better isolation from the kernel.
When you are working with Hyper- V containers in Docker, the settings are identical to managing Windows Server containers. The one difference that you want to include in the Hyper-V container is using the – – isolation=hyperv parameter. The following is an example of the docker command with the Hyper- V parameters: docker run – it – – isolation=hyperv microsoft/nanoserver cmd
Managing Container Networking
A feature included with building containers is the ability to access the servers and data within the container the same way you would on a normal network server or Hyper-V server. Once you have installed Docker, there will be two networks that are created automatically. You can see these networks by typing docker network ls in PowerShell (see Figure 12.13) or at an elevated command prompt.
FIGURE 12.13 Docker network
If you would like to get even more details about a specific network (see Figure 12.14), after you run the docker network ls command, grab the Network ID number. Then type the following PowerShell command followed by the Network ID number (my Network ID is 3cb894810795):
Docker network inspect 3cb894810795
FIGURE 12.14 More Docker network details
One nice thing about working with networks within containers is that these two networks are always available to you even when you choose only one to be part of your container. You can specify which network you want your container to run on by using the — Network flag.
When you create a container, the host network adds the container onto the host’s network stack. There are very few reasons you would even need to manage or manipulate the container’s network. The only network that you may need to work with is the bridge network. The Docker default bridge is created as soon as you install the Docker engine. It creates your bridge network, and its name is bridge.
Adding an Image to a Container – Building an Azure Infrastructure
- Open a PowerShell window with administrative rights.
- Type docker info at the PowerShell prompt. You should only have one container at this time.
- Next we need see what images are in our repository. To do this, type docker images in the PowerShell window. This will show you your Docker images (see Figure 12.10).
FIGURE 12.10 Docker images
4. We need the Image ID from the Nano Server or Server Core that we downloaded in Exercise 12.2. The Image ID for my Nano Server is d9bccb9d4cac. We will use this ID to turn the image into a container. Type the following at a PowerShell prompt (your Image ID will be different) and press Enter (see Figure 12.11):
docker run d9bccb9d4cac
FIGURE 12.11 Docker run command
5. Type docker info at the PowerShell prompt. You should now have two containers instead of just one (see Figure 12.12).
EXERCISE 12.3
6. Close PowerShell.
Tagging an Image
You can change the tags associated with the images. Many administrators use tag names as version names so that they can keep track of the various images on their machine.
Having tags that you create allows you to easily access the images later by their tag names. To tag an image, you use the -t parameter. So to tag an image as WillPanekImage, you’d use the following:
docker build – t WillPanekImage
Uninstall an Operating System Image
One of the maintenance issues that many IT administrators must deal with is hard drive space. As you are downloading and using images, there may be a time when you need to remove images from your server that are no longer being used.
If you continue to download and use multiple images files, make sure that every once in a while you look at all of your images and delete any that are no longer valid or no longer in use.
Exercise 12.4 will show you how to remove an image file from your host system. To complete this exercise, make sure that you have completed the earlier exercises in this chapter.
EXERCISE 12.4
Uninstalling an Image
- Open a PowerShell window with administrative rights.
- Type docker images and get the ID number of the Nano Server image.
- Type docker rm d9bccb9d4cac (replace d9bccb9d4cac with your ID number).
- Type docker images. The image is now gone.
- Close PowerShell.
Install and Configure Windows Containers
So now that you have installed Docker on your Windows Server 2022 system, let’s take a look at how to install and configure containers.
In Exercise 12.2, you’ll learn how to make sure your Docker service is started. I will then show you how to install a base operating system image onto your host and how to create Windows Server containers.
There are dozens of premade Docker images. You can look at all of the various Docker components at the Docker Store. Go to https://store .docker.com to see all the available Docker downloads (including premade images).
EXERCISE 12.2
Installing a Base Operating System
- Open the Services MMC by clicking Start ➢ Windows Administrative Tools ➢ Services.
- Scroll down until you see Docker. Make sure that the Docker Service has started (see Figure 12.5). If it hasn’t started, right- click Docker and choose Start.
FIGURE 12.5 Checking that Docker Service has started
EXERCISE 12.2
3. Close Services.
4. Open PowerShell with administrative privileges by clicking Start and right- clicking Windows PowerShell, then choosing More ➪ Run As Administrator.
5. Now we are going to see if any containers are running. To do this, type docker info in PowerShell and press Enter. You will see a report (see Figure 12.6) that will show you if you have any containers running.
6. So now we are going to install a container image for either Microsoft Nano Server or Windows Server Core from the online package repository. To begin, type one of the following commands into PowerShell (choose the command for the operating system that you want):
Docker pull microsoft/nanoserver docker pull microsoft/windowsservercore
7. After your container is installed, restart the Docker service. Type the following command into PowerShell: Restart- Service docker
8. Now let’s take a look at your Docker information again by typing docker info at the PowerShell prompt. As you can see, we now have an image that we didn’t have before (see Figure 12.7).
FIGURE 12.7 Checking Docker information
9. To see all the images that you have on your system, at the PowerShell prompt type docker images (see Figure 12.8).
FIGURE 12.8 Docker images
10. So now that you have seen how to grab a base image from docker, let’s create a Windows Server container with Nano Server installed. At the PowerShell prompt, type the following command:
docker run microsoft/dotnet- samples:dotnetapp- nanoserver
11. If the installation worked properly, you should see what looks like to be a small alien on your screen (see Figure 12.9). Type docker info at the PowerShell prompt and you will see that you now have a container. You will also notice that you have two images now: the one you downloaded earlier and the one you just downloaded.
EXERCISE 12.2
12. Close PowerShell.
Supported Images for Windows Containers – Building an Azure Infrastructure
When I talk about setting up containers and you are getting ready to start using containers, there is one major requirement that we need to consider. The operating system on the host machine must be the same operating system that is used in the Windows container. . If you install a different operating system in the Windows container, the container may load but you will most likely start to see errors, and there is no guarantee that you’ll be able to use all the container’s functionalities.
So, it is very important to make sure that the version of Windows Server 2022 that you install onto the host system is the same version that you run in the Windows container. One nice advantage to using Windows is that you can check what version of Windows you are using. To do so, enter the system’s Registry (Regedit.exe) and search for the following Registry key (see Figure 12.1):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion.
The host operating system that you are going to run will determine what operating systems you can run in the Windows Server container or Hyper-V container. Not all operating systems are available depending on the host OS image. Table 12.1 shows you all of the supported configurations for each host operating system.
TABLE 12.1 Supported base images
| Host operating system | Windows Server container | Hyper- V container |
| Windows Server 2022 with Desktop | Server Core/Nano Server | Server Core/Nano Server |
| Windows Server 2022 Core | Server Core/Nano Server | Server Core/Nano Server |
| Nano Server | Nano Server | Server Core/Nano Server |
| Windows 10/11 (Pro/Enterprise) | Not Available | Server Core/Nano Server |
Installing Docker
So the first step in setting up our Windows containers is to install Docker. Docker is the software package that allows you to create and manipulate containers and images.
Docker is the software package that you install and the Docker daemon is the application that you use to do your configuration and management. After you install Docker, the Docker daemon is automatically installed and configured with default settings.
Docker is a third- party application that Microsoft has started using for containers. The Docker application consists of a Docker engine and a Docker client (Docker daemon). So the first thing that we need to do is install Docker. To begin, download and install the Docker application. Another item that needs to be completed when installing and using Docker is making sure that all of the current Microsoft updates have been installed.
In Exercise 12.1, you’ll learn how to download and install Docker. I will also show you how to get your Windows updates. The steps in this exercise install Docker to a Windows Server 2022 (with GUI) Datacenter operating system, but this installation can be done on a Nano Server or a server with no GUI.
EXERCISE 12.1
Installing Docker
- Open an elevated command prompt by clicking the Start button and right-c licking on Windows PowerShell ➢ More ➢ Run As Administrator.
- At the PowerShell prompt, type Sconfig. This will bring up the Server Configuration menu (see Figure 12.2). Choose option 6 by entering 6 and pressing the Enter key to update Windows Server 2022.
FIGURE 12.2 Server Configuration screen
3. A screen should appear asking if you want to install All Updates or Recommended Updates only. Choose A for All Updates and press Enter. If there are any updates available, click A for installing all updates and press Enter. The updates will be downloaded and installed.
4. If there were no updates, go to step 6. After all updates have been installed, choose option 13 to restart the server. You’ll see a message asking if you are sure you want to reboot. Click Yes.
5. Log in and restart PowerShell with administrative rights.
6. At the PowerShell prompt, type the following command and press Enter to download the Docker software:
Install- Module – Name DockerMsftProvider -R epository PSGallery – Force
7. If you get a message that the NuGet provider needs to be installed (see Figure 12.3), choose Y and press Enter. If this message doesn’t appear, go to step 9.
FIGURE 12.3 Install NuGet
EXERCISE 12.1 (continued)
8. If you needed to install NuGet, then reenter the following command:
Install- Module – Name DockerMsftProvider – Repository PSGallery – Force
9. Now that we have downloaded Docker, it’s time to install it. At the PowerShell prompt, type the following command (see Figure 12.4) and press Enter.
Install- Package – Name docker – ProviderName DockerMsftProvider
10. A message will appear stating that the package is not trusted and asking if you want to install software from DockerDefault. Click Y and press Enter.
11. Now that Docker is installed, let’s check for updates again and then reboot. Type Sconfig and choose option 6. Click A for All Updates. If there are any updates, click A for installing All Updates.
12. After the updates complete, you will return to the Server Configuration screen. Choose option 13. Click Yes to reboot.
13. Log into the server.
Docker is now downloaded and installed onto the Windows Server 2022 machine. The next step is to work with Docker to install and configure containers.
When using Docker, there are some switches that you can use. Table 12.2 shows some of the Docker switches and what each switch does. You’ll use these commands to manage Windows or Linux containers using the Docker daemon. These commands can be run in PowerShell or at an elevated command prompt.
Table 12.2 is just a partial list of Docker commands. To see a more complete list, go to Microsoft’s website at https://docs.docker.com/ engine/reference/run. In the left- hand window, the entire list is under Engine (Docker) CLI.
| Introduction to Containers 627 | |||
| TABLE 12.2 | Docker PowerShell and command- line commands | ||
| Command | Description | ||
| docker attach | This command allows you to attach to a running container. | ||
| docker build | Using this command allows you to build an image from a Docker file. | ||
| docker checkpoint | You can use this command to manage a Docker checkpoint. | ||
| docker commit | This command allows you to debug and build a new image. | ||
| docker container | This command allows you to manage containers. | ||
| docker cp | Using this command allows you to copy files and folders between the container and the local computer system. | ||
| docker create | This command gives you the ability to create a new container. | ||
| docker deploy | You can use this command to create and modify a stack. | ||
| docker diff | This command allows you to view changes to files or directories in the container’s filesystem. | ||
| docker events | This command allows you to see a server’s events in real time. | ||
| docker exec | You can use this command to run a new command in an existing container. | ||
| docker image | This command (along with its options) allows you to manage your images. | ||
| docker info | Using this command allows you to view system information of the Docker installation. | ||
| docker kill | This command allows you to terminate running containers. | ||
| docker login | You can use this command to log into the Docker registry of a server. | ||
| docker pause | This command allows you to pause all processes within a container. | ||
| docker port | Use this command to view the port mappings for a container. | ||
| docker ps | This command allows you to view all the containers. | ||
| docker pull | You can use this command to pull an image from a registry. | ||
| Policy | Result |
| no | This setting will not automatically restart the container. This is the default setting for a container. |
| on- failure [:max- retries] | This setting will restart the container only if the container has a non- zero exit status. Also, you have the ability to limit the number of restart retries that the Docker daemon will attempt. |
| always | This setting will always restart the container. When the setting is set to always, Docker will try to restart the container indefinitely. The container will also always start on daemon startup. |
| unless- stopped | This setting will always restart the container unless the container was stopped before the restart. |
TABLE 12.2 Docker PowerShell and command- line commands (Continued)
| Command | Description |
| docker push | This command allows you to push an image to a registry. |
| docker rename | This command allows you to rename a container. |
| docker restart | Using this command allows you to restart a container. |
| docker rm | You can use this command to remove a container. |
| docker run | Using this command (along with the options), you can add to or override the image settings set by a developer. |
| docker save | This command allows you to save images to an archive. |
| docker search | This command allows you to search the Docker Hub for images. |
| docker start | This command allows you to start a stopped container. |
| docker stop | This command allows you to stop a running container. |
| docker update | You can use this command to update the configuration of a container. |
| docker version | This command allows you to view the Docker version information. |
After Docker is installed, you may want to configure the Docker daemon to specify how Docker will start and stop after a system restart or when the system needs to reboot. If you want to set a restart policy, use the – restart flag with the Docker run command.
