Beginning right this moment, you should utilize AWS CodeBuild Docker Server functionality to provision a devoted and protracted Docker server immediately inside your CodeBuild venture. With Docker Server functionality, you’ll be able to speed up your Docker picture builds by centralizing picture constructing to a distant host, which reduces wait occasions and will increase general effectivity.
From my benchmark, with this Docker Server functionality, I diminished the overall constructing time by 98 %, from 24 minutes and 54 seconds to 16 seconds. Right here’s a fast take a look at this characteristic from my AWS CodeBuild tasks.

AWS CodeBuild is a completely managed steady integration service that compiles supply code, runs checks, and produces software program packages prepared for deployment. Constructing Docker pictures is among the most typical use circumstances for CodeBuild prospects, and the service has progressively improved this expertise over time by releasing options resembling Docker layer caching and reserved capability options to enhance Docker construct efficiency.
With the brand new Docker Server functionality, you’ll be able to cut back construct time in your functions by offering a persistent Docker server with constant caching. When enabled in a CodeBuild venture, a devoted Docker server is provisioned with persistent storage that maintains your Docker layer cache. This server can deal with a number of concurrent Docker construct operations, with all builds benefiting from the identical centralized cache.
Utilizing AWS CodeBuild Docker Server
Let me stroll you thru an illustration that showcases the advantages with the brand new Docker Server functionality.
For this demonstration, I’m constructing a fancy, multi-layered Docker picture primarily based on the official AWS CodeBuild curated Docker pictures repository, particularly the Dockerfile for constructing a customary Ubuntu picture. This picture incorporates quite a few dependencies and instruments required for contemporary steady integration and steady supply (CI/CD) pipelines, making it a very good instance of the kind of giant Docker builds that improvement groups recurrently carry out.
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# or within the "license" file accompanying this file.
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# See the License for the particular language governing permissions and limitations below the License.
FROM public.ecr.aws/ubuntu/ubuntu:20.04 AS core
ARG DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive"
# Set up git, SSH, Git, Firefox, GeckoDriver, Chrome, ChromeDriver, stunnel, AWS Instruments, configure SSM, AWS CLI v2, env instruments for runtimes: Dotnet, NodeJS, Ruby, Python, PHP, Java, Go, .NET, Powershell Core, Docker, Composer, and different utilities
COMMAND REDACTED FOR BREVITY
# Activate runtime variations particular to picture model.
RUN n $NODE_14_VERSION
RUN pyenv international $PYTHON_39_VERSION
RUN phpenv international $PHP_80_VERSION
RUN rbenv international $RUBY_27_VERSION
RUN goenv international $GOLANG_15_VERSION
# Configure SSH
COPY ssh_config /root/.ssh/config
COPY runtimes.yml /codebuild/picture/config/runtimes.yml
COPY dockerd-entrypoint.sh /usr/native/bin/dockerd-entrypoint.sh
COPY authorized/bill_of_material.txt /usr/share/doc/bill_of_material.txt
COPY amazon-ssm-agent.json /and many others/amazon/ssm/amazon-ssm-agent.json
ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/dockerd-entrypoint.sh"]
This Dockerfile creates a complete construct surroundings with a number of programming languages, construct instruments, and dependencies – precisely the kind of picture that might profit from persistent caching.
Within the construct specification (buildspec), I exploit the docker buildx construct . command:
model: 0.2
phases:
construct:
instructions:
- cd ubuntu/customary/5.0
- docker buildx construct -t codebuild-ubuntu:newest .
To allow the Docker Server functionality, I navigate to the AWS CodeBuild console and choose Create venture. I also can allow this functionality when enhancing current CodeBuild tasks.

I fill in all particulars and configuration. Within the Setting part, I choose Extra configuration.

Then, I scroll down and discover Docker server configuration and choose Allow docker server for this venture. Once I choose this selection, I can select a compute kind configuration for the Docker server. Once I’m completed with the configurations, I create this venture.

Now, let’s see the Docker Server functionality in motion.
The preliminary construct takes roughly 24 minutes and 54 seconds to finish as a result of it must obtain and compile all dependencies from scratch. That is anticipated for the primary construct of such a fancy picture.

For subsequent builds with no code adjustments, the construct takes solely 16 seconds and that reveals 98% discount in construct time.

Wanting on the logs, I can see that with Docker Server, most layers are pulled from the persistent cache:

The persistent caching offered by the Docker Server maintains all layers between builds, which is especially helpful for big, complicated Docker pictures with many layers. This demonstrates how Docker Server can dramatically enhance throughput for groups working quite a few Docker builds of their CI/CD pipelines.
Extra issues to know
Listed here are a few issues to notice:
- Structure assist – The characteristic is accessible for each x86 (Linux) and ARM builds.
- Pricing – To be taught extra about pricing for Docker Server functionality, discuss with the AWS CodeBuild pricing web page.
- Availability – This characteristic is accessible in all AWS Areas the place AWS CodeBuild is obtainable. For extra details about the AWS Areas the place CodeBuild is accessible, see the AWS Areas web page.
You’ll be able to be taught extra concerning the Docker Server characteristic within the AWS CodeBuild documentation.
Glad constructing! —
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