What are Docker container health checks and how do I implement them?

What are Docker container health checks and how do I implement them?

Docker container health checks are commands that run inside a container to determine if it's functioning correctly. You can implement them using the HEALTHCHECK instruction in your Dockerfile.

Can you give me an example of a health check command?

Sure! A simple example is: HEALTHCHECK CMD curl --fail http://localhost/ || exit 1. This checks if a web service is responding.

How often should I run health checks?

It's common to run health checks every 30 seconds, but it depends on your application's needs. You can adjust it using the --interval flag.

What happens if a health check fails?

If a health check fails, Docker will mark the container as unhealthy, and you can configure it to restart the container automatically.