Microsoft Announces Partnership With Docker To Bring Docker Support In Windows Server

Microsoft and Docker today announced a strategic partnership to provide Docker support for container technologies that will be delivered in a future release of Windows Server. This partnership enables container applications across platforms which will benefit enterprise customers.

“We recognize the importance of providing flexibility to our customers as they look to innovate in this mobile-first, cloud-first world,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Cloud & Enterprise at Microsoft. “To deliver this flexibility, we are already providing first-class support for Docker and Linux on our rapidly growing cloud platform, Microsoft Azure. Our partnership with Docker further deepens our commitment to help create an open platform powered by choice, bringing together Windows Server and Linux to drive application innovation.”

Key components of the partnership include:

• Docker Engine, the open source runtime that builds, runs and orchestrates containers, will work with the next release of Windows Server. In addition, Docker Engine images for Windows Server will be available in the community-driven Docker Hub. This will help drive greater developer agility by making some of the best images for Windows Server and Linux available.
• Docker Hub will also integrate into Microsoft Azure directly through the Azure Management Portal and Azure Gallery. This will allow cloud developers to drive rapid innovation on both Windows Server and Linux.
• Microsoft has also announced its contribution to Docker’s open orchestration APIs, ensuring portability for multi-container applications. For the first time, developers will be able to directly work with a pre-configured Docker Engine in Azure to create a multi-container Dockerized application.
• The Docker Engine for Windows Server will be developed under the aegis of the Docker open source project, where Microsoft plans to participate as an active community member.

A preview of container capabilities coming in Windows Server will be available in the coming months. Microsoft intends to release the Windows Server container technologies as part of the next product wave for Windows Server.

For more information, check out the blog post and press release about the partnership.