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# Introduction

Before jumping into the projects, let’s clear up what Docker is and why people care about it. Docker packages an application and everything it needs into a container. A container is a lightweight, isolated environment that runs the same way everywhere. No “works on my machine” problems. If it runs on your laptop, it runs the same on a server or the cloud. Developers love that because sharing code becomes simple and predictable. In this “5 Fun Projects” series, our focus is on learning by doing. Every project teaches one core Docker skill. By the end, you won’t just know Docker in theory — you’ll understand how to use it.

# 1. Static Website Hosting with Nginx and Docker

This video by Techdox shows you how to host a website using Nginx in Docker. You containerize a web server, add your site files, and run everything in a single container. The tutorial walks through creating a simple Dockerfile (or Docker Compose), setting up Nginx to serve your pages, and starting the container so the site is live. There is no need to install Nginx on your machine because it all runs inside Docker. This keeps the setup clean and reproducible.

# 2. Multi-Container Docker Applications with Docker Compose

This video shows how to use Docker Compose to run two services together: a Python Flask backend and a Redis database. All service configurations, including builds, ports, and connections, are defined in one docker-compose.yml file. You start everything with a single command, docker compose up. The containers communicate automatically, and environment settings stay centralized. This makes it easy to run and manage the app on any machine while giving a practical example of handling multiple services in Docker.

# 3. One Database Shared by Multiple Containers

In this One Database service for Multiple Docker container Services video, the author shows how to run a single database container and let multiple application containers connect to it. You set up MySQL or another database once in Docker, and each service runs in its own container but connects to the same database through a shared Docker network or proper port mapping. You learn how to configure networking, expose the database port, and link containers for secure communication. This approach helps save resources by centralizing databases and also teaches when a shared database works best versus separate instances.

# 4. Automated Continuous Integration with Jenkins in Docker

These videos show how to build a complete continuous integration (CI) pipeline using Jenkins inside Docker to automatically create Docker images when code changes. The first video, Build & Push React Docker Image with a Jenkins Pipeline, walks you through setting up the Jenkins container, creating a pipeline to pull source code, build a Docker image, and optionally run tests or push the image to a registry. The second video, Automated CI with Jenkins on Docker to Build Docker Images, focuses on a React app, showing how to connect Jenkins to the source repository, build and tag Docker images, and push them automatically. Both tutorials show how containerizing Jenkins keeps your build environment isolated, reproducible, and consistent. Once set up, every code update triggers a fresh build, making deployments reliable and automated.

# 5. Logging and Monitoring Docker

These videos show how to build a full observability stack using Docker. Prometheus collects system and container metrics. Loki stores logs. Grafana displays everything in real-time dashboards. In the first video, Loki, Prometheus, Grafana & Docker: Logging & Monitoring, you will learn to set up Docker for each service, connect them correctly, and link metrics with logs to see how your containers perform. The second video, Server Monitoring: Prometheus and Grafana Tutorial, focuses on monitoring servers or container environments using Prometheus and Grafana in a portable, reproducible setup. It shows how to configure Prometheus as Grafana’s data source, set up metrics endpoints, and create dashboards to track CPU, memory, and container performance. Both approaches rely on containerization, making the stack easy to run, replicate, and expand on any machine.

# Wrapping Up

These five projects build your Docker skills one layer at a time. You host a website, connect multiple services, share databases, automate builds, and monitor everything. Each project gives practical skills you can use in real work. Now it’s your turn to try these projects and explore Docker yourself.

Kanwal Mehreen is a machine learning engineer and a technical writer with a profound passion for data science and the intersection of AI with medicine. She co-authored the ebook "Maximizing Productivity with ChatGPT". As a Google Generation Scholar 2022 for APAC, she champions diversity and academic excellence. She’s also recognized as a Teradata Diversity in Tech Scholar, Mitacs Globalink Research Scholar, and Harvard WeCode Scholar. Kanwal is an ardent advocate for change, having founded FEMCodes to empower women in STEM fields.