Docker Scaling Guide: Horizontal & Vertical Methods

There are several ways to scale Docker containers.

1. Horizontal scaling: Increasing the processing capacity of a system can be achieved by creating multiple identical containers. Container orchestration tools like Docker Swarm or Kubernetes can be used to manage the scaling and load balancing of multiple containers.
2. Vertical scaling: The ability of a container can be expanded by increasing the resource limits of the container, such as increasing the CPU, memory, disk quotas, etc. Container resource limits can be specified using the parameters of the docker run command.
3. Dynamic scaling: The number of containers can automatically adjust based on the system’s workload to meet the system’s demands. Container orchestration tools or automation scripts can be used to monitor system workload and increase or decrease the number of containers according to predefined rules.
4. Database read-write separation: For applications using databases, the reading capacity of containers can be expanded through read-write separation. This can be achieved using the database replication mechanism or by using specialized database middleware.

It is necessary to choose the appropriate method of expansion based on specific application scenarios and requirements.