Handy Azure CLI Docker commands to deploy containers

May 9, 2024

P1: Create container image

Create a Dockerfile in root folder, add the content (change accordingly).

  FROM node:x.x.x-*******
  RUN mkdir -p /usr/src/app
  COPY ./app/* /usr/src/app/
  WORKDIR /usr/src/app
  RUN npm install
  CMD node /usr/src/app/index.js

Build image using docker build

  docker build ./project-name -t project-app-name

Check container image docker images

Running container locally 

  docker run -d -p 8080:<PORT> project-app-name

P2: Pushing image to Azure Container Registry

Create a resource group with the az group create command

  az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus

Create an Azure container registry with the az acr create command

  az acr create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name <acrName> --sku Basic

Login to container registry

  az acr login --name <acrName>

Get the full login server name for the Azure container registry

  az acr show --name <acrName> --query loginServer --output table
  az acr show --name notchacr --query loginServer --output table

Now, display the list of local images with docker images command

Tag the image with the login server of your container registry.

  docker tag project-app-name <acrLoginServer>/aci-tutorial-app:v1

Confirm with docker images

Finally, push image to Azure Container Registry

  docker push <acrLoginServer>/project-app-name:v1
  docker push notchacr.azurecr.io/project-app-name:v1

Verify pushed images with

  az acr repository list --name <acrName> --output table
  az acr repository list --name notchacr --output table

P3: Deploy container application to Azure Container Instances

Just create a new ACI through the Azure portal (portal.azure.com), select the ACR, app name, etc. DON"T forget to add a DNS label name if you want to connect to a (sub)domain eventually. EZ & straightforward.