Architecture and deployment of systems with Docker and Containers

The right orchestration for each project: Docker Compose, Swarm, Kamal, or Kubernetes

At Mecexis, we've been deploying applications with Docker containers for years, from simple projects to complex microservices infrastructures that replicate complete development environments for dozens of clients with a single command. We know every orchestration tool, we know when to use each one, and we'll recommend the one you really need, not the latest trend.

Why containers?

Docker containers: the modern way to deploy applications that actually works

Before Docker, deploying an application was a ritual of hope. You had to manually install dependencies, configure the server exactly as in the development environments , and pray that everything would work. When something went wrong (and it always did), the search for differences between environments could begin and last for days.

Docker containers eliminate all of this thanks to complete isolation . Your application travels with everything it needs: base operating system, libraries, configuration. If it works in development, it works in production. If it works today, it works tomorrow. There's no magic, no "server dependency," no excuses.

But Docker is just the packaging. The real challenge lies in the orchestration : how you manage, scale, and update those containers in production. And this is where many projects become unnecessarily complicated. We've seen five-person startups struggling with Kubernetes orchestration when Docker Compose would have sufficed, and large enterprises struggling with overly simplistic solutions. At Mecexis, we choose the tool that fits your project, your team, and your budget: Compose, Swarm, Kamal, or Kubernetes.

Main advantages

Docker containers aren't just a trendy technology. They're a fundamentally better way to build, deploy, and run microservices and applications. Here are the real benefits for your business.

CI/CD deployments in seconds, not hours

How long does it take your team to deploy a new version to production? Hours? A whole day with someone logged into the server? With a well-configured Docker container and CI/CD infrastructure, deployment is as simple as running a single command. The new version is uploaded, verified to work, and traffic is automatically redirected. If something goes wrong, there's an instant rollback to the previous version. We've built systems where a single command simultaneously deploys to more than 15 independent development and production environments , each with its own database, cache, and workers. That's not theory: it's what we do every week.

Development environments identical to production

Development, staging, production: same container, same behavior thanks to Docker's isolation . When a developer says "it works on my machine," they're right, because their machine is running exactly the same thing as the server. "Only happens in production" bugs practically disappear. The time your team used to spend debugging differences between development environments is now spent building features.

Painless horizontal climbing

Need more capacity? Scale up more containers horizontally . No need to clone servers, no manual configuration. If your application is well-contained with microservices , scaling is as simple as changing a number in a configuration file. And when peak traffic subsides, you scale down containers and stop paying for unused resources.

Infrastructure Independence

A Docker container works the same on a €10/month VPS as it does on AWS. This gives you real freedom: you can start with budget-friendly infrastructure and migrate to the cloud when you really need to, without rewriting anything. Isolation ensures you're not tied to any provider; you're not dependent on proprietary services that can change prices or disappear. Your application is portable by design.

Documented and Versioned Infrastructure

With Docker Compose , Swarm, Kamal, or Kubernetes, your entire architecture is defined in text files that reside in your repository. Want to know how the server is configured? Look at the code. Want to revert to a previous configuration? Use Git checkout. Is someone leaving the team? The knowledge doesn't go with them; it's in the repository, integrated with your CI/CD pipeline.

Predictable and Optimized Costs

Docker containers make better use of server resources than traditional applications thanks to efficient isolation . Where you previously needed a server per application, you can now run multiple containers on the same hardware. Combined with proper orchestration and providers like Hetzner for predictable workloads, infrastructure costs can be drastically reduced without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Ideal use cases

Docker containers and orchestration for projects that need to grow without complications

Startups that want professional infrastructure with CI/CD without a dedicated DevOps team
Web applications that need horizontal scaling at specific times
Multi-customer SaaS platforms requiring environment isolation
Development teams wasting time with problems in development environments
Companies that want to migrate from traditional servers to microservices architecture
Projects that require frequent deployments without risk or downtime

Container orchestration: the right tool for every project

There's no one-size-fits-all solution for every project. Each orchestration tool has its place, and choosing the right one can save you months of work and thousands of euros. Here are the options we work with and when we recommend each one.

Docker Compose: simplicity that works for most projects

Docker Compose defines multi-container applications and microservices in a single YAML file. Database, application, cache, workers: all executable with one command. For 70% of projects, Compose on a well-sized server is all the orchestration you need.

Docker Swarm: Clusters and horizontal scaling without complexity

The natural next step from Compose when you need multi-server clusters and horizontal scaling with automatic load balancing. Same syntax as Docker Compose , seamless transition. Swarm distributes containers, balances traffic, and automatically restarts anything that fails.

Kubernetes orchestration: enterprise power when you really need it

The industry standard for large-scale orchestration : auto-scaling across clusters , canary deployments, service mesh. But Kubernetes orchestration adds significant operational complexity. For projects that truly need it, it's unbeatable. For everything else, it's over-engineering: consider Swarm or Kamal first.

Kamal: Zero-downtime CI/CD deployments without the complexity of Kubernetes

Created by 37signals/Basecamp, Kamal offers professional CI/CD deployments on any Docker-enabled server. A single command deploys with zero downtime, load balancing, and automatic SSL. Ideal for microservices without the complexity of Kubernetes orchestration . We've built systems that replicate entire infrastructures for over 15 clients with a single command.

Our complementary stack

Orchestration is central, but a professional Docker container infrastructure needs more pieces. These are the tools that complete our stack.

GitHub Actions: CI/CD integrated with your containers

Each push to the repository triggers an automated CI/CD pipeline: testing, building a Docker image, and deployment to production if everything passes. It integrates natively with your code, requiring no additional servers to maintain. Compatible with any orchestration : Compose, Swarm, Kamal, or Kubernetes.

Terraform: Infrastructure as Code

Servers, networks, clusters , domains, certificates: all defined in versioned code. Need to replicate the development environment for a new client? One command. Want to know what's deployed? Check the repository. Infrastructure is no longer a black box.

Container Records

Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, or private registries on AWS ECR. Your versioned, secure Docker container images, ready to deploy to any environment with your CI/CD pipeline.

Monitoring and Logging

Docker containers without visibility are a recipe for disaster. We set up centralized logging, performance metrics for your clusters , and alerts. When something goes wrong with your microservices , you have the tools to diagnose it in minutes.

1 In-depth knowledge of each option: We've deployed real-world projects using Docker Compose , Swarm, Kamal, and Kubernetes orchestration . We know the advantages, limitations, and the 3 AM issues that arise with each. When we recommend a tool, it's because we know exactly what it entails.
2 Development and Infrastructure Under the Same Roof: We're the same team that writes the code and deploys it using CI/CD . The Dockerfiles are optimized for your application's actual microservices . Build times are minimal. And when there's a problem, there's no finger-pointing between teams: we fix it.
3 Pragmatism Over Trends: Is Kubernetes orchestration impressive? Yes. Do you need it? Probably not. Docker Compose or Kamal handle 80% of cases without the complexity of managing clusters . We'll tell you the truth about what your project requires, even if it means a simpler and more affordable solution. We prefer satisfied customers with the right solutions to frustrated customers with oversized infrastructure.
4 Real Knowledge Transfer: We don't create artificial dependencies. All Docker container configuration and orchestration is documented in code, and we train your team to understand how it works. If you decide to manage the infrastructure internally tomorrow, you'll have everything you need.

The question isn't 'Should we use Kubernetes?' It's 'What real problem are we solving?'

Adrià MartínezProject Manager