Evaluating Docker storage performance: from workloads to graph drivers

Abstract

Containers are a widely successful technology today popularized by Docker. They improve system utilization by increasing workload density and enable seamless deployment of workloads across development, test, and production environments. Docker’s unique approach to data management, which involves frequent snapshot creation and removal, presents a new set of exciting challenges for storage systems. At the same time, storage management for Docker containers has remained largely unexplored with a dizzying array of solution choices and configuration options. In this paper we unravel the multi-faceted nature of Docker storage and demonstrate its impact on system and workload performance. As we uncover new properties of the popular Docker storage drivers, this is a sobering reminder that widespread use of new technologies can often precede their careful evaluation.