what is docker engine? and docker engine key components

Docker has revolutionised the way we develop, ship, and run applications.
At its core lies the Docker Engine, the powerhouse that drives containerisation. Lets look at what a Docker Engine is and break down its key components.

What is Docker Engine?
The Docker Engine is an open-source containerisation technology that allows you to build, ship, and run applications within isolated environments called containers.

Think of it as a lightweight virtual machine, but instead of virtualising the entire operating system, it shares the host OS kernel, making it significantly more efficient.

Components of Docker Engine:
The Docker Engine operates on a client-server architecture and comprises three main components:

Docker Daemon (dockerd): This is the heart of Docker Engine. It's a persistent background process that runs on the host machine. The daemon is responsible for managing containers, images, networks, and storage volumes. It listens for Docker API requests and carries out the corresponding actions.

Docker Client (docker): This is the command-line interface (CLI) that you interact with to issue commands to the Docker daemon. When you use commands like docker run, docker build, or docker push, you're communicating with the Docker client, which then relays these instructions to the daemon.

Docker API: This is the interface that allows the Docker client and other tools to communicate with the Docker daemon. It defines a set of instructions that can be used to manage Docker resources.

How Docker components work together?
1. Issue a command using the Docker client (e.g., docker run ubuntu)
2. The Docker client sends this command to the Docker daemon via the Docker API
3. The Docker daemon receives the command and performs the requested action (e.g., downloads the Ubuntu image and starts a container)
4. The Docker daemon sends the results back to the client through the API

Why is Docker Engine Important?
Docker Engine provides several benefits:
Isolation: Applications run in isolated containers, preventing conflicts and dependencies
Portability: Containers can run on any system with Docker Engine installed, ensuring consistency across environments
Efficiency: Lightweight and sharing the host OS kernel, Docker containers consume fewer resources than traditional virtual machines
Scalability: Easily scale applications by creating and managing multiple containers