Lab: Building Agentic Apps with Docker
Hands-on lab: Build agentic apps with Docker Model Runner, MCP Gateway, and Compose. Learn about models, tools, and agentic frameworks.
Get up and running with building agentic applications using Compose, Docker Model Runner, and the Docker MCP Gateway. This hands-on lab takes you from understanding AI models to building complete agentic applications.
Launch the lab
Start the labspace:
$ docker compose -p labspace -f oci://dockersamples/labspace-agentic-apps-with-docker up -dNoteThis lab uses an AI model, which requires the Docker Model Runner to be enabled. The model may take some time to download.
Open your browser to http://localhost:3030.
When you're done, tear down the labspace:
$ docker compose -p labspace down
What you'll learn
This lab covers three core areas of agentic application development:
Models: What models are, how to interact with them, configuring Docker Model Runner in Compose, and writing code that connects to the Model Runner
Tools: Understanding tools and how they work, how MCP (Model Context Protocol) fits in, configuring the Docker MCP Gateway, and connecting to the MCP Gateway in code
Code: What agentic frameworks are, defining models and tools in a Compose file, and configuring your app to use those models and tools
Modules
| # | Module | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | Overview of agentic applications and the Docker AI stack |
| 2 | Understanding Model Interactions | Learn how to interact with AI models |
| 3 | The Docker Model Runner | Configure and use Docker Model Runner with Compose |
| 4 | Understanding Tools and MCP | Deep dive into tools, tool calling, and MCP |
| 5 | The Docker MCP Gateway | Set up and configure the MCP Gateway |
| 6 | Putting It All Together | Build a complete agentic application |
| 7 | Conclusion | Summary and next steps |