Dockerizing an Apache Web Server

Apache web server (commonly called Apache) is one of the most popular and widely used web servers. It serves as the software that delivers web content such as HTML pages, images, videos, or applications to web browsers over the HTTP or HTTPS protocols.

When users access a website by typing a URL, Apache processes the request, serves static content and can handle dynamic content through modules that integrate with languages such as PHP, Python, or Perl. It efficiently manages multiple simultaneous connections using Multi-Processing Modules (MPMs), supports load balancing and caching, provides TLS encryption (HTTPS) for secure communication, can forward requests to backend servers or applications (e.g Node.js), and maintains detailed access and errors logs for monitoring, analytics and security

Apache web server listens on port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS

Dockerizing an Apache server means running the Apache web server inside a Docker container rather than directly on the host operating system. The Dockerized Apache server isolates Apache and its dependencies from the host machine, providing enhanced security, easier deployment, greater consistency across environments, improved scalability, better maintainability, and efficient resource usage

Container networking allows an Apache web server running inside a Docker container to communicate with web browsers on the host machine or on other devices on the network

Tools used:

VS Code

Docker Desktop

The Deployment Process

• Install Docker Extension on VS Code:

In VS Code, navigate to the Extensions icon —> type ‘docker’ in the search bar —> click install and follow the prompts

• Create a project folder and Dockerfile

create a folder for the project and give it a name. Inside the project folder, create a Dockerfile:

FROM ubuntu:latest

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y apache2

EXPOSE 80

CMD ["apache2ctl", "-D", "FOREGROUND"]

• Open a new terminal in VS Code

In the terminal, navigate to the project folder and build the Docker image from the Dockerfile using the following command:

docker build -t my-apache-image .

• Run the Docker Container

Run the container and map port 80 to the host machine:

docker run -p 80:80 my-apache-image

• Verify the running container

• Visit the local address on host machine (http://localhost:8080). This should display the Apache default page, confirming that the Apache web server has been successfully Dockerized and is running

Skills gained by completing this project:

• Understanding the role of Dockerfile in containerization

• Writing Dockerfiles to define container images

• Configuring Apache web server in a container

• Using VS Code terminal for container management

• Building Docker images from a Dockerfile

• Versioning and tagging container images for deployment

• Running containers and mapping ports to host

• Deploying services in isolated environments

Key benefits of this Project:

• Isolation: A Docker container provides an isolated environment for running an Apache web server, ensuring that it is not affected by any changes to the host system or by other applications running on the same machine

• Consistency: By packaging the Apache web server and its dependencies into Docker container, developers can ensure that the application runs consistently across the different environments such as the development, staging and production

• Reproducibility: Docker images are portable and can be easily shared with others, making it easy for developers to reproduce each other’s work

• Security: Docker containers are more secure than traditional servers because they provide an isolated environment for running the Apache web server, making it harder for attackers to compromise the host machine or other applications running on it