You can now run PAS for OpenEdge instances in a Docker container, which means you can perform zero down-time versioning of PAS for OpenEdge instances.

Docker is a technology that enables developers to develop, deploy, and run an application in a standalone, virtualized environment called a container. Containers are a lightweight, standardized, and secure method of executing software in an isolated environment. Use containers to isolate applications for faster development and deployment.

Virtual machines offer a similar benefit as containers, but containers have the advantage because they do not virtualize hardware. Containers work on the application layer, and multiple containers share the same operating system kernel. This technology makes running multiple containers much more portable and efficient than running multiple virtual machines.

Continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) is one of the biggest benefits of using Docker containers. CI/CD enables developers to build, test, and deploy code in a wide variety of environments and enables them to test as frequently as they want. By combining the development and testing processes, CI/CD and Docker containers can make developing, testing, and deploying software much more efficient.

Containers provide several advantages when used with PAS for OpenEdge:
  • Docker containers help to reduce the overhead for packaging and deploying ABL applications, enabling you to streamline your application distribution processes. You only need to create a Docker custom container image with PAS for OpenEdge once, and then you can distribute that image and run as many containers as needed.
  • When you upgrade your Docker containers for PAS for OpenEdge, you only need to upgrade one image, and then you can easily redistribute the upgraded image.
  • With tools such as Docker Swarm and Kubernetes, you can to run multiple PAS for OpenEdge containers in a cluster, which provides high availability and elasticity.

For more information about containers, see Learn about PAS for OpenEdge in a Docker Container in Run PAS for OpenEdge in a Docker Container.