What happens when you run a container?

Either by using the docker binary or via the API, the Docker client tells the Docker daemon to run a container.

$ docker run -i -t ubuntu /bin/bash

Let’s break down this command. The Docker client is launched using the docker binary with the run option telling it to launch a new container. The bare minimum the Docker client needs to tell the Docker daemon to run the container is:

• What Docker image to build the container from, hereubuntu, a base Ubuntu image;
• The command you want to run inside the container when it is launched, here /bin/bash, to start the Bash shell inside the new container.

So what happens under the hood when we run this command?

In order, Docker does the following:

• Pulls the ubuntu image: Docker checks for the presence of the ubuntu image and, if it doesn’t exist locally on the host, then Docker downloads it from Docker Hub. If the image already exists, then Docker uses it for the new container.
• Creates a new container: Once Docker has the image, it uses it to create a container.
• Allocates a filesystem and mounts a read-write layer:The container is created in the file system and a read-write layer is added to the image.
• Allocates a network / bridge interface: Creates a network interface that allows the Docker container to talk to the local host.
• Sets up an IP address: Finds and attaches an available IP address from a pool.
• Executes a process that you specify: Runs your application, and;
• Captures and provides application output: Connects and logs standard input, outputs and errors for you to see how your application is running.