About Docker Offload

Table of contents

Docker Offload is a fully managed service for building and running containers in the cloud using the Docker tools you already know, including Docker Desktop, the Docker CLI, and Docker Compose. It extends your local development workflow into a scalable, cloud-powered environment, enabling developers to work efficiently even in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments or systems that don't support nested virtualization.

Key features

Docker Offload includes the following capabilities to support modern container workflows:

  • Ephemeral cloud runners: Automatically provision and tear down cloud environments for each container session.
  • Hybrid workflows: Seamlessly transition between local and remote execution using Docker Desktop or CLI.
  • Secure communication: Use encrypted tunnels between Docker Desktop and cloud environments with support for secure secrets and image pulling.
  • Port forwarding and bind mounts: Retain a local development experience even when running containers in the cloud.
  • VDI-friendly: Use Docker Desktop in virtual desktop environments or systems that don't support nested virtualization.

Why use Docker Offload?

Docker Offload is designed to support modern development teams working across local and cloud environments. It helps you:

  • Offload heavy builds and runs to fast, scalable infrastructure
  • Run containers that require more resources than your local setup can provide
  • Use Docker Compose to manage complex, multi-service apps that need cloud resources
  • Maintain consistent environments without managing custom infrastructure
  • Develop efficiently in restricted or low-powered environments like VDIs

Docker Offload is ideal for high-velocity development workflows that need the flexibility of the cloud without sacrificing the simplicity of local tools.

How Docker Offload works

Docker Offload replaces the need to build or run containers locally by connecting Docker Desktop to secure, dedicated cloud resources.

Running containers with Docker Offload

When you use Docker Offload to build or run containers, a Docker Desktop creates a secure SSH tunnel to a Docker daemon running in the cloud. Your containers are started and managed entirely in that remote environment.

Here's what happens:

  1. Docker Desktop connects to the cloud and triggers container creation.
  2. Docker Offload builds or pulls the required images and starts containers in the cloud.
  3. The connection stays open while the containers run.
  4. When the containers stop running, the environment shuts down and is cleaned up automatically.

This setup avoids the overhead of running containers locally and enables fast, reliable containers even on low-powered machines, including machines that do not support nested virtualization. This makes Docker Offload ideal for developers using environments such as virtual desktops, cloud-hosted development machines, or older hardware.

Despite running remotely, features like bind mounts and port forwarding continue to work seamlessly, providing a local-like experience from within Docker Desktop and the CLI.

Docker Offload automatically transitions between active and idle states based on usage. You're only charged when actively building or running containers. When idle for more than 5 minutes, the session ends and resources are cleaned up. For details about how this works and how to configure idle timeout, see Active and idle states.

What's next

Get hands-on with Docker Offload by following the Docker Offload quickstart.