Why docker does not help you with AEM

The actual challange if any that I propose to you is to understand this notion:

"What is good enough in Prod good Enough in Dev"

And its fundemental impact though practices on efficiency and how DevOps space closing the loops on all the old ways of solving problems that do not need to be solved. After all its 2017 not 1999 oldshcool thinking don't cut it anymore. This would be worthwhile endevour to explore. This does go to the core of developer mindset, whereby a developer thinks "hey I can do X in dev and its cool, but they do Y in prod", usualy Prod is not their problem so anything goes on Dev side. And if you accepts this challange though the journey you will be able to counter argue your own ideas you pose now.

Back to your questions

How do you implement this 3rd step of the deployment of application version 1.1?

- You just deploy the new package to running container using Package Manager, package are not part of your Docker Image so nothing to worry about here.

How can docker help you there?

- its hosts your running AEM instance, you can replicate exact (not same, actually exact) instance in another environment and test installation of your new App Package and see if it works.

I think these questions come from place of understanding of how Docker should be used and how you are using Docker and practices that should be used with it. I think you might be thinking about baking you Application Package into Docker image... is this what you mean?

As far as Docker concerned I would need to point out that Docker on its own does not do anything, but provide an opportunity to change the way things are done. Typically Docker would be part of a suite of tools that will bring an unparallel benefit to all practices for managing Prod and other envrionments. The list of benefits would by far out weigh any percived gaps.

Saying all this here is a very very high level DevOps practice around managing an application in Prod.

1. So you should be writing Docker images specific for particular version of AEM, chain a couple of images with diffrent concerns.

2. Then once you have started the container and tested everything is good, your provision Packages you belive you need as a Provision step.

3. Then once you have tested that package you installed are good, you install your Application Verison, and do a test again.

4. Then using best DevOps practice (not manual hacks) you deploy specific tested version of your Applciation to that Container using package manager.

5. Then you open floodgates of users at it.

All of this is not posible with Docker alone but there is no point saying Docker without meaning DevOps these days, as its basically means that lots of stuff is still manual and that probably cause to work on.

Let me know what you think.