How To Update Docker Container automatically with nearly zero downtime

How to update docker container automatically with Watchtower. Scheduled updates without downtime for your entire docker environment.

We will use the free and open-source software Watchtower.

Project Homepage: https://containrrr.dev/watchtower/

Video: https://youtu.be/5lP_pdjcVMo

Prerequisites

• Linux Server running Docker

Run Watchtower

Watchtower can be easily deployed by executing a simple docker run command.

docker run --name watchtower -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower

Run Watchtower in debug mode

You might wonder why there is no log output apart from the welcome message. If you want to increase the logging level or watchtower, you simply just add an argument.

docker run --name watchtower -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower --debug

Run Watchtower only once, in debug mode

docker run --name watchtower -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower --run-once --debug

Exclude Container from Watchtower

docker run -d --label=com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable= false nginx

Scheduled Updates and clean up old images

docker run --name watchtower -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock --restart unless-stopped containrrr/watchtower --schedule "0 0 4 * * *" --debug --cleanup