How to move Docker containers between different hosts?

Question

I cannot find a way of moving docker running containers from one host to another.

Is there any way I can push my containers to repositories like we do for images ? C

Answer 1

I tried many solutions for this, and this is the one that worked for me :

1.commit/save container to new image :

1. ++ commit the container:
   # docker stop
   # docker commit CONTAINER_NAME
   # docker save --output IMAGE_NAME.tar IMAGE_NAME:TAG
   
   

ps:"Our container CONTAINER_NAME has a mounted volume at '/var/home'" ( you have to inspect your container to specify its volume path : # docker inspect CONTAINER_NAME )

2. ++ save its volume : we will use an ubuntu image to do the thing.
   # mkdir backup
   # docker run --rm --volumes-from CONTAINER_NAME -v ${pwd}/backup:/backup ubuntu bash -c “cd /var/home && tar cvf /backup/volume_backup.tar .”
   
   

Now when you look at ${pwd}/backup , you will find our volume under tar format.
Until now, we have our conatainer's image 'IMAGE_NAME.tar' and its volume 'volume_backup.tar'.

Now you can , recreate the same old container on a new host.