A short presentation given on the 13th September 2018 at the 51st Elixir meetup in Berlin about how kloeckner.i uses elixir in the docker.

1. Elixir & Docker
@ kloeckner.i

2. Hi, I am Florian!
@carhillion | floriank.github.io

4. We do steel!

7. 2016
Flashback time!

9. Couple of advantages
Static releases are nice

10. Couple of advantages
Static releases are nice

11. Couple of dis-/-advantages
Long, but plannable release cycles

12. Couple of dis-/-advantages
Long, but plannable release cycles

13. Couple of disadvantages
No continuous deployment, erratic pipeline and long
lead time to master

14. Docker - all the way
In development In testing & CI When shipping

15. New process since 2016
Seamless Hive Integration Agent

16. New process from 2019

17. Talk about Elixir already!
elixir:base Dockerfile <development>
Dockerfile <production>
Use in local docker-compose.yml
Use in rancher-compose.yml

18. Same same. But different.
We build a production image:
● For production. Duh.
● To tag and add arguments for the
docker image. The image carries
additional information, such as
commit author, ticket number, log
tags, etc.
● Image contents are compiled. The
hex package here is distillery.
We build a development image
● For development. Duh.
● To have access to mix and the build
tools while developing
● For inclusion of the project in
dependent projects, in order to have
the ability to develop there.
● Image contents are not compiled, the
code is copied in and the build tools
come with the image
This is done for every commit. So for every commit there exists two images.

19. Docker Magic
Alpine Linux Image
bitwalker/elixir
elixir:base
project:image container: <commit-hash>
production

20. Showtime.
I’ll make it quick, I promise.

21. Deploy all the things
(quick recap)
1. Image content are a release built with
distillery.
2. All containers get deployed via shia
on rancher
3. Basic blue/green deployment of
containers
4. We deploy a full new version (ideally)
in zero downtime.

22. Why not just use it?

23. What do you lose?
No more OTP release
features
Lots of extra boilerplate
via the docker ecosystem
No Actor Model magic

24. Should you use it?

25. Should you use it?
Everything is the same Everything is different

26. Want more?
Slides will be available
… and we’re hiring

27. Thanks!
Questions?