10.3 Cloud Registries
A focused guide to Cloud Registries, connecting core concepts with practical Docker and container operations.
Cloud registries are container registry services provided directly by major cloud platforms — Amazon ECR, Google Artifact Registry, Azure Container Registry — offering tight integration with that platform's own identity, networking, and deployment services as an alternative to Docker Hub or a self-hosted registry.
Why Cloud Registries Integrate Tightly With Their Own Platform
A cloud registry is typically designed to work seamlessly with the same platform's compute and identity services, simplifying authentication and deployment within that specific cloud environment.
aws ecr get-login-password | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin 123456789.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
This authentication flow integrates directly with the cloud platform's own identity and access management, rather than requiring a separate, registry-specific credential.
Why Teams Already Invested in a Cloud Platform Often Choose Its Registry
For a team already deploying primarily to a specific cloud platform, using that platform's own registry often simplifies the overall deployment pipeline, avoiding the need to manage cross-platform authentication and networking between a separate registry and the deployment environment.
docker push 123456789.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/myapp:1.0
Pushing directly to the same cloud platform hosting the eventual deployment keeps the entire pipeline within one consistent ecosystem.
Why Cloud Registries Typically Charge Based on Usage
Unlike Docker Hub's free tier for public repositories, cloud registries generally charge based on actual storage and data transfer usage, an important cost consideration for image storage and frequent pulling.
aws ecr describe-repositories
Reviewing actual usage and associated costs helps inform decisions about image retention policies and pull frequency.
Why Cloud Registries Matter
For teams operating primarily within a specific cloud platform's ecosystem, that platform's own registry often provides the most tightly integrated, operationally simplest option for storing and distributing container images as part of an overall deployment pipeline.