This section provides answers to frequently asked questions about running WebLogic Server 12.1.3 images in Docker containers.
Is Oracle Weblogic Server 12.1.3 certified on Oracle Linux 6.5/7 and RedHat Linux 7 Docker images?
Does Oracle post WebLogic Server Docker images on the Docker Hub?
Where is the domain file system stored for WebLogic Server images in a Docker environment?
Is Weblogic Server on Docker supported only on a single node?
What is the recommended procedure for patching WebLogic Server on Docker containers?
Is there an orchestration layer to support Weblogic Server in a Docker container?
Does Oracle support third-party software running on Docker with WebLogic Server?
Yes WebLogic 12.1.3 is supported and certified on Oracle Linux 6.5/7 and Red Hat Linux 7. For detailed certification information about supported WebLogic Server Docker images, see http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/ias/oracleas-supported-virtualization-089265.html.
Yes, you can use the Dockerfiles and scripts posted on GitHub as examples. For more information, see "Building WebLogic Server Images on Docker".
No, but Oracle has posted some Dockerfiles and supporting scripts on GitHub as samples to create WebLogic Server Docker images. For more information, see "About the Dockerfiles and Scripts on GitHub".
Containers are instances of images. Each gets its own file system on a copy-on-write approach. Docker uses Union Filesystems. Data of a container can be persisted in three ways:
Container Union Filesystem (default) — Copy-on-write
Data Volume — Folder mapped to a folder on the host
Data Volume Container — Folder mapped to a folder on another container
Oracle supports only single host environments for "traditional" WebLogic Server deployments (with a WebLogic domain and a cluster (or clusters), and several servers in each cluster). This is because Docker containers running on different machines (hosts) do not have the necessary visibility and access to communicate directly with other containers that are not networked together, as illustrated in Figure 1-4, "WebLogic Cluster on Docker Containers Across a Single Host".
However, for topologies that are in line with the "Docker way" of configuring containers, Oracle supports single host and multiple host environments. The "Docker Way" for configuring containerized applications and services, consists of a container designed to run only an Administration Server that contains all resources, shared libraries, and deployments. Such containers can all be on a single physical or virtual server Linux host (see Figure 1-5, "Containerized Oracle WebLogic Server Applications on a Single Host"), or they can be on multiple physical or virtual server Linux hosts (see Figure 1-6, "Containerized WebLogic Server Applications on a Multiple Hosts").
For more information, see "Non-Clustered WebLogic Server Domain in a Docker Container".
For information about patching and/or upgrading WebLogic Server on Docker, see "Patching and Upgrading WebLogic Server Images".
There is not a supported orchestration layer at this time.
Oracle only certifies WebLogic Server 12.1.3 on Docker. See http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/middleware/ias/oracleas-supported-virtualization-089265.html.