What is the role of a Docker network?

The role of a Docker network is to allow containers to communicate with each other. In a Docker environment, containers often need to interact with one another to function as a cohesive application. This is achieved through networking.

When containers are connected to the same Docker network, they can resolve each other's hostnames and IP addresses, which enables seamless communication without having to expose services to the external network. This internal communication is crucial for microservices architecture, where different services run in isolated containers but need to exchange data to operate effectively.

Docker networks also facilitate different types of communication models, such as bridge networks (the default network), overlay networks (used for multi-host networking), and macvlan networks (to assign MAC addresses to containers). Each of these network types serves different purposes, but their main goal remains consistent: to ensure that containers can interact with each other as needed while maintaining an organized infrastructure.