
Ask HN: Should I use Docker? - hacknrk
I am building an internal server for my company in Flask. As of now I have successfully deployed it to a Digital Ocean droplet, configured nginx and WSGI and got it running. Another developer is building a React app to interact with my server&#x27;s API which I think I will deploy on the same droplet too. Because it&#x27;s just an internal app, I only use one droplet. I don&#x27;t know whether I should use Docker to containerize both the server and client apps or just put them on the same machine as two monolithic applications. I heard the good practice these days is to use Docker and microservices but I don&#x27;t want to overengineer things.
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allsunny
There will be a bit of "yak shaving" up front to get it working in the
container but I think it's probably worth it over the long run. The main
benefit is that you can be sure that the environment you develop in locally
will be the same as what is deployed in the wild. As you share your
code/application with other developers (which it sounds like you're starting
to do) this will become more and more important. Just make sure you're writing
your application to be "cloud native" up front (e.g. put your configuration
parameters in environment variables)

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atsaloli
Have you got any problems with your current setup?

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hacknrk
Currently no, but I want to structure it in a maintainable way.

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atsaloli
I understand. Still, if it ain't broke...

Check out Max Kanat-Alexander's piece on over-engineering (10 minute Google
video)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxyOng0-14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxyOng0-14)

In other words, if you're not having maintainability issues with it now, leave
it be... once you start having issues, you can re-design (when you actually
need it). =)

