How to enable the Docker checkpoint feature to take snapshots of your running containers

Learn how to turn on the Docker checkpoint feature for running container snapshots with this quick tutorial from expert Jack Wallen.

In a recent TechRepublic video, Jack Wallen shows how to enable the Docker checkpoint feature to take snapshots of your running containers to save a state for backup or later usage. The following is an edited transcript of his tutorial.

First, you must add the repository for the CRIU package with the following command: SUDU add-apt-repository ppa:criu/ppa.

Update APT with this command: sudo apt-get update.

Then install CRIU with this command: sudo apt-get install criu -y.

Next, we must enable Docker experimental features.

First, create a new file with the command sudo nano /etc/docker/daemon.json.

In that file, add the following: {"Experimental": true}. Save and close the file.

Restart the Docker Daemon with sudo systemctl restart docker.

Deploy an NGINX container with the command docker run --name nginx-checkpoint -p 8005:80 -d nginx.

Create the checkpoint with this command: docker checkpoint create --leave-running=true nginx-checkpoint checkpoint.

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