The document discusses evaluating the use of microservices and container technologies like Docker in an academic environment. It begins by explaining the limitations of traditional monolithic applications and how microservices address these issues. The key aspects of microservices architecture are defined. It then provides details on how Docker containerization works and the various Docker tools like Docker Engine, Docker Hub, Docker Machine, Docker Swarm, and Docker Compose. The document discusses implementing microservices using these Docker technologies and tools in an academic research computing cluster with multiple versions of services running in isolated containers. It includes steps and examples for installing Docker on Linux, Windows, and configuring a Docker server and clients.
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