Thousands of organizations have adopted Docker Inc.’s container engine since its release three years ago, but only a tiny fraction boast large-scale production deployments. And the number becomes even smaller when narrowing down the list to traditional enterprises. The startup is moving to remedy the situation today with the launch of a new platform that aims to ease the deployment of its technology on in-house infrastructure.

Docker Datacenter combines all the individual automation tools that the VMware Inc. contender has rolled out for the container engine over the past few quarters into a single pre-packaged bundle. The linchpin of the suite is the most recent addition to the lineup, the Universal Control Plane, which promises to centralize the maintenance of production implementations in a consolidated view. Administrators thus gain the ability to quickly assess the impact of the routine changes they make as part of their day-to-day activity and tweak as necessary without having to juggle multiple windows. At large organizations, the resulting productivity improvement can add up significantly over the course of a work day.

The immediate benefits of streamlining operations are joined by the ability to better keep pace with the development teams on the other side of the operational equation. Early Docker adopters like Gilt Groupe Inc. update their containerized applications upwards of hundreds of times per week, which means there’s little time to apply a patch before the next one is ready to roll out. The key to such rapid-fire release cycles is the second element of the startup’s newly introduced suite: Docker Registry.

The software enables organizations to create internal code repositories where operating system images, libraries and other application components can be stored for easy access. When an engineer is assigned a new task, they’re able to quickly retrieve the necessary files from the Docker Registry and get right down to work, which ultimately enables updates to be pushed out faster. The fact that everything is kept in the same place is equally convenient for administrators, who in turn gain increased control over the development lifecycle.

Access to code repositories can be regulated directly from the Universal Control Plane thanks to built-in integration with Docker Registry that has been available since the management console first hit the market in November. Docker Datacenter is also able to interface with a variety of third party tools, which enables organizations to extend its core functionality as their needs require.

Photo via Pixabay