Introduction to the DOCKER-ENGINE-API

The DOCKER-ENGINE-API is a comprehensive REST-API that enables developers to interact directly with the DOCKER-DAEMON. This interface is the underlying mechanism used by the DOCKER-CLI to execute commands. By making HTTP requests to the API, users can programmatically manage the lifecycle of CONTAINERS, manage IMAGES, and orchestrate NETWORKS and VOLUMES.

Accessing the DOCKER-ENGINE-API is typically done through a UNIX-SOCKET located at /var/run/docker.sock on LINUX systems. For remote management, the API can be exposed over a TCP port, though it is highly recommended to secure these connections using TLS to prevent unauthorized access. The API uses standard JSON for request and response bodies, making it compatible with almost any modern programming language.

To simplify integration, DOCKER provides official SDK packages for GO and PYTHON. These libraries wrap the REST-API endpoints into native function calls, handling details like connection pooling and serialization. Detailed specifications for every endpoint, including versioning history, are maintained in the Docker API Reference.

• DOCKER-COMPOSE
• KUBERNETES
• CONTAINERD
• MICROSERVICES