Enable Docker’s Checkpoint Feature to Take Snapshots

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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