Complete Guide to Using AWS ECR (with examples)
AWS Elastic Container Registry (ECR) is a fully-managed container registry that makes it easy for developers to store, manage, and deploy container images. It integrates seamlessly with other AWS services like Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS, allowing you to build scalable and reliable applications. In this article, we will explore eight different use cases of the aws ecr command, along with code examples for each use case.
Authenticate Docker with the default registry
To authenticate Docker with the default registry, you can use the following command:
aws ecr get-login-password --region region | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin aws_account_id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com
Motivation: Docker login is required to access private container registries, like AWS ECR. This command retrieves an authentication token from AWS and provides it to the docker login command. By using this command, you can securely authenticate Docker with the default registry.
Arguments:
region: The AWS region where the ECR repository is located.aws_account_id: Your AWS account ID.
Example Output: The command will authenticate Docker with the default registry by providing an authentication token, allowing you to pull and push container images.
Create a repository
To create a repository in AWS ECR, use the following command:
aws ecr create-repository --repository-name repository --image-scanning-configuration scanOnPush=true|false --region region
Motivation: Creating a repository in AWS ECR is the initial step to store and manage your container images. By using this command, you can easily create a repository with a given name and configure image scanning for added security.
Arguments:
repository: The name of the repository you want to create.scanOnPush: A boolean value (true/false) to enable or disable image scanning for newly pushed images.region: The AWS region where the ECR repository should be created.
Example Output: The command will create a new repository with the specified name and configuration in the specified region.
Tag a local image for ECR
To tag a local Docker image for AWS ECR, use the following command:
docker tag container_name:tag aws_account_id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com/container_name:tag
Motivation: Tagging a local Docker image with the ECR repository details is essential to associate the image with the correct repository. By using this command, you can easily tag a local image with the ECR repository details, enabling easier management and tracking of container images.
Arguments:
container_name: The name of the local Docker image you want to tag.tag: The tag name for the Docker image.aws_account_id: Your AWS account ID.region: The AWS region where the ECR repository is located.
Example Output: The command will tag the specified local Docker image with the ECR repository details, allowing you to push the image to that repository.
Push an image to a repository
To push a Docker image to an ECR repository, use the following command:
docker push aws_account_id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com/container_name:tag
Motivation: Pushing a Docker image to an ECR repository enables you to store and distribute container images for your applications. By using this command, you can easily push a tagged Docker image to the specified ECR repository.
Arguments:
aws_account_id: Your AWS account ID.region: The AWS region where the ECR repository is located.container_name: The name of the container image you want to push.tag: The tag name of the container image.
Example Output: The command will push the specified Docker image to the ECR repository, making the image available for deployment.
Pull an image from a repository
To pull a Docker image from an ECR repository, use the following command:
docker pull aws_account_id.dkr.ecr.region.amazonaws.com/container_name:tag
Motivation: Pulling a Docker image from an ECR repository allows you to retrieve and use the image for local development or deployment. By using this command, you can easily pull the specified Docker image from the specified ECR repository.
Arguments:
aws_account_id: Your AWS account ID.region: The AWS region where the ECR repository is located.container_name: The name of the container image you want to pull.tag: The tag name of the container image.
Example Output: The command will pull the specified Docker image from the ECR repository, making it available on your local machine.
Delete an image from a repository
To delete an image from an ECR repository, use the following command:
aws ecr batch-delete-image --repository-name repository --image-ids imageTag=latest
Motivation: Deleting unnecessary or outdated images from an ECR repository helps in managing storage space and maintaining a cleaner repository. By using this command, you can easily delete a specific image with the given tag from the specified repository.
Arguments:
repository: The name of the repository from which you want to delete the image.latest: The tag name of the image you want to delete.
Example Output: The command will delete the specified image from the ECR repository, removing it permanently.
Delete a repository
To delete a repository from AWS ECR, use the following command:
aws ecr delete-repository --repository-name repository --force
Motivation: Deleting a repository allows you to completely remove the repository and all its associated images. By using this command, you can easily delete the specified repository, freeing up storage space and resources.
Arguments:
repository: The name of the repository you want to delete.--force: Adding this flag ensures that all images within the repository are deleted before deleting the repository itself.
Example Output: The command will delete the specified repository from AWS ECR, along with all the images stored within it.
List images within a repository
To list all images within an ECR repository, use the following command:
aws ecr list-images --repository-name repository
Motivation: Listing the images within an ECR repository helps in understanding the contents and versions of the images stored. By using this command, you can easily retrieve a list of all the images present within the specified repository.
Arguments:
repository: The name of the repository for which you want to list the images.
Example Output: The command will return a list of all the images present within the specified repository, along with their respective tags and other details.
