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Testing MySQL/MariaDB/Percona versions with Docker

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Giuseppe Maxia has provided some great MySQL docker images. Percona and MariaDB also provide version via Docker Hub. In an attempt to have a consistent means of launching these different images I created the following convenience functions.

  1. Install docker for your OS. See Official Docker installation instructions.
  2. Get dockerhelper.sh
  3. Run your desired variant and version. 

$ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ronaldbradford/mysql-docker-minimal/master/dockerhelper.sh
$ . ./dockerhelper.sh
Docker Registered functions are:  docker_mysql, docker_percona, docker_mariadb

$ docker_mysql
ERROR: Specify a MySQL version to launch. Valid versions are 5.0 5.1 5.5 5.6 5.7 8.0
$ docker_percona
ERROR: Specify a Percona version to launch. Valid versions are 5.5 5.6 5.7
$ docker_mariadb
ERROR: Specify a MariaDB version to launch. Valid versions are 5.5 10.0 10.1

MySQL Operations in Docker at Oracle Open World 2016

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One of the Monday tutorials at Oracle Open World was MySQL Operations in Docker. A 2 hour tutorial by Giuseppe Maxia. This tutorial showed what you can do with MySQL on Docker which is specifically good for testing. Some key points from the tutorial included:

  • Differences between containers and Virtual Machines (VM)
    • VM are mutable architecture, you start then modify
    • containers are an immutable architecture
  • Containers are not micro-services
  • Understanding about the “official” MySQL docker image. (Hint: Use mysql/mysql-server, not mysql)
  • The issues of specifying a required password to install MySQL on a container
  • Understanding how to use volumes, for a file (e.g. /etc/my.cnf), or a directory (e.g. /var/lib/mysql)
  • How to produce a more secure MySQL installation using files
  • How to get MySQL 5.0,5.1,5.5,5.6,5.7 and 8.0 on #CentOS, #Ubuntu and #debian for #docker using his own minimal MySQL docker images. (NOTE: MySQL images by Oracle, Percona and MariaDB are only the current version)
  • MySQL Group replication demo (mysql/mysql-gr)

Giuseppe performed his demos on a dedicated Linux machine. My attempts to reproduce the tutorial steps on Mac failed, as mentioned because of issues with volumes. MySQL Group Replication with Docker on Mac is also unpredictable.

In summary, Giuseppe talked about how wonderful Docker is for development and testing but not advisable for production. Some of the questions regarding production concerns included the inability working with orchestrators, stability with volumes and overall container user security. In addition, a tough audience question “How do you upgrade MySQL in production using containers?” highlighted that this technology is evolving, and while becoming ideal for stateless applications, it is not ready for primetime for databases that require state to operate.

Get the Code Examples on GitHub.

Docker has become a popular technology for containers starting in 2013. It did not invent containers, A Brief History of Container Technology gives a timeline of technologies that have got us to where we are today.

A Brief History of Container Technology

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The following is the text from a presentation slide at Oracle Open World 2016.

While Docker has been playing a key role in adoption of the Linux container Technology, the did not invent the concept of containers.

  • 2015 – OCI
  • 2014 – rkt
  • 2013 – Docker
  • 2013 – LMCTFY
  • 2011 – Warden
  • 2008 – LXC
  • 2007 – AIX (6.1) WPARS
  • 2007 – cgroups in Linux Kernel (2.6.24)
  • 2006 – Process Containers
  • 2005 – openvz
  • 2004 – Solaris Zones
  • 2001 – Linux vserver
  • 2000 – FreeBSD jails
  • 1979 – Unix V7 added chroot

DISCLAIMER: This post is only a repeat of the content of the slide and has not be verified for accuracy.