Docker Inc. has announced the release of its latest container engine, Docker 1.13, with new capabilities that boost its storage efficiency and enhance the Docker Swarm container orchestration service.

One of the main new features Docker 1.13 adds is a number of new commands that give users greater control over how storage space is used. Users can remove unused data with the new “docker system prune” command, while the “docker system df” command allows them to see how much space has been used up on a specific disk.

There’s also a new “squash capability” in Docker 1.13 that makes storage even more efficient. The option allows users to collapse or “squash” numerous file system layers into a single layer in order to free up space and enable simpler management.

The Swarm container orchestration service that was first integrated directly into the Docker engine in June with the Docker 1.12 release has also been updated. Now, users can deploy and manage a Swarm service, and define how many instances or nodes are needed for each service, using a standard Docker compose command. In addition, swarm-mode has been integrated with a new Secret Management application programming interface that allows for data used with Docker services to be safely stored and retrieved.

“In terms of Docker Swarm services, a secret is a blob of data, such as a password, SSH private key, SSL certificate, or another piece of data that should not be transmitted over a network or stored unencrypted in a Dockerfile or in your application’s source code,” according to the Github page for Docker. “In Docker 1.13 and higher, you can use Docker secrets to centrally manage this data and securely transmit it to only those containers that need access to it.”

Docker encrypts secrets both at rest and in transit, and only allows access to services that have been granted explicit permission. The latest version of Docker has also gained a few security patches.

Docker 1.13 comes at a time when analysts believe the market for Docker containers is about to explode. A recent report by 451 Research Group found that the application container market generated $762 million in revenues in 2016, and said that figure is set to grow to $2.7 billion by 2020.

Image courtesy of Docker