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Roll out Docker to a pilot group

Table of contents

Rolling out Docker across an organization changes how developers sign in and how Docker Desktop behaves. Testing the managed experience with a small group helps uncover access or workflow problems before they affect everyone.

In this 15-minute tutorial, you'll invite one pilot user, apply one managed setting to that user, and confirm that Docker Desktop receives the policy.

Before you start

You need:

Invite the pilot user

  1. Sign in to Docker Home and select your organization.
  2. Select Members, then Invite.
  3. Select Emails or usernames and enter the pilot user's email address.
  4. Assign the Member role and a Docker Desktop license, then send the invitation.
  5. Have the pilot user accept the invitation from the email or the Notifications Center.

The pilot user is now part of the organization and can receive its Docker Desktop policies.

Create a pilot policy

  1. In Docker Home, select Docker Desktop, then Settings Management.
  2. Select Create a settings policy.
  3. Name the policy Docker pilot.
  4. Apply the policy to Specific users, then select the pilot user.
  5. Set Automatically update components to Always enabled. Leave the other settings as User-defined.
  6. Select Create.

This policy locks one low-impact setting, making the result visible without changing the pilot user's development workflow.

Apply and verify the policy

Ask the pilot user to:

  1. Quit Docker Desktop completely.
  2. Start Docker Desktop and sign in with the account that joined the organization.
  3. Open Docker Desktop settings and confirm that Automatically update components is enabled and can't be changed.
  4. Run a familiar development project to confirm their normal workflow still works.

Docker Desktop checks for policy updates when it starts and every 60 minutes while running. Fully quitting and reopening it applies the policy without waiting for the next check.

What you learned

You added a user, targeted a policy, and verified the managed Docker Desktop experience before applying controls across the organization. Use the pilot's feedback to refine the policy and its deployment communication.

What's next

Continue with these guides when you're ready to expand the deployment: