What does Docker Compose primarily manage?

Docker Compose is primarily designed to manage the orchestration of multi-container applications. It allows developers to define a multi-container environment using a single configuration file (usually named docker-compose.yml). This file contains the definitions for the services (containers), networks, and volumes that the application requires, making it easy to set up and manage complex applications that consist of multiple interdependent services.

By using Docker Compose, users can build, manage, and scale applications that involve several Docker containers with a single command, improving efficiency and reducing the complexity associated with running several containers individually. This orchestration capability is key to ensuring that all components of the application can communicate effectively and be started or stopped together.

While networking of containers falls under Docker's scope and is facilitated by Docker Compose, networking alone does not encapsulate the full range of functionalities that Docker Compose provides. Additionally, Docker Compose does not handle the deployment of virtual machines or the storage of database images directly but focuses specifically on managing the lifecycle of multi-container applications.