VPS: Setup Docker on Windows
This guide was created with the following products:
(Details may vary with products from different providers but the main concepts remain the same)
Introduction
Docker is an open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside containers. A container packages an application with all its dependencies into a standardized unit that can run reliably across different environments.
This approach removes issues caused by differences between development, testing, and production systems. With Docker, applications can be deployed quickly, scaled efficiently and updated without downtime.
Considering about hosting this service yourself? We’ll walk you through every step on how to set it up and configure it, along with everything you need to keep in mind.
Prerequisites
Before installing Docker, ensure that your hosting environment meets the following requirements to guarantee a smooth installation and optimal performance.
| Hardware | Minimum | ZAP-Hosting Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 vCPU Cores | 4 vCPU Cores |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Disk space | 10 GB | 25 GB |
Installation
To set up Docker on Windows Server, download and run the PowerShell script install-docker-ce.ps1. It enables the OS features required for containers and installs the Docker runtime. Open PowerShell as admin and execute the following command:
Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/Windows-Containers/Main/helpful_tools/Install-DockerCE/install-docker-ce.ps1" -o install-docker-ce.ps1
.\install-docker-ce.ps1
The script enables container related Windows features, installs Docker Engine and the Docker CLI and registers the Docker service for automatic start.
The system will restart during installation and should continue automatically afterwards. After the restart, sign in and run the same command again if the script instructs you to do so so the service completes initialization. Once the script has been completed, the output will look like this:
Installing Docker... C:\Users\Administrator\DockerDownloads\docker-28.3.3\docker\docker.exe
Installing Docker daemon... C:\Users\Administrator\DockerDownloads\docker-28.3.3\docker\dockerd.exe
Configuring the docker service...
Waiting for Docker daemon...
Successfully connected to Docker Daemon.
The following images are present on this machine:
REPOSITORY TAG IMAGE ID CREATED SIZE
Script complete!
Configuration
Start and stop docker
Docker runs as a service on Windows. After installation it starts automatically. To control it manually:
Start-Service docker # Start the Docker service
Stop-Service docker # Stop the Docker service
Restart-Service docker # Restart the Docker service
Start and stop container
Start a container with docker run. Example: IIS web server mapping port 80 in the container to host port 8080:
docker run -d --name web -p 8080:80 mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore/iis:windowsservercore-ltsc2022
Check container status
Check container status with:
docker ps # Running containers
docker ps -a # All containers, including stopped
docker inspect web # Detailed info
docker logs web # Container logs
Ressourcen und Status
docker stats # Live CPU/RAM/IO
Conclusion and more Resources
Congratulations! You have now successfully installed and configured Docker on your VPS. We also recommend taking a look at the following resources, which could provide you with additional help and guidance during your server configuration process
- Docker.com - Official Website
- docs.docker.com - Docker Documentation
Got specific questions that aren't covered here? For further questions or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team, which is available daily to assist you! 🙂