This guide describes how to build and use Docker containers to deploy Zixi Broadcaster and Zixi Edge Compute. Note that Zixi Edge Compute uses the same installer and executable code as Zixi Broadcaster and is only differentiated from a Broadcaster by the license that is applied. For the remainder of this document, any time Zixi Broadcaster is mentioned the same is true for Zixi Edge Compute.
Docker is an open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications. Docker enables you to separate your applications from your infrastructure so you can deliver software quickly. Docker provides the ability to package and run an application in a loosely isolated environment called a container. The isolation and security allow you to run many containers simultaneously on a given host.
Containers are lightweight because they don’t need the extra load of a hypervisor, but run directly within the host machine’s kernel. This means you can run more containers on a given hardware combination than if you were using virtual machines. You can even run Docker containers within host machines that are themselves virtual machines!
For containers running software that makes heavy use of ports for web UIs or data transfer, you do need to consider your port mapping or IP routing strategies so that all containers on the host are accessible from the outside world.
This document assumes you have a basic understanding of the Docker ecosystem and have Docker already installed on a host. Also, this document assumes you are using a Linux host for Docker although that is not necessarily required.
