This article provides examples of how to use the ‘docker secret’ command to manage Docker swarm secrets.

Use case 1: Create a new secret from stdin

Code:

command | docker secret create secret_name -

Motivation: This use case allows you to create a new secret by providing the secret value through stdin. This can be useful when you have a secret value you want to pass directly to the command without creating an intermediate file.

Explanation:

• command: Represents the command that outputs the secret value. This can be any command that outputs the secret value to stdout.
• docker secret create: The command to create a new secret.
• secret_name: The name of the secret to be created.
• -: Represents the input source of the secret value, which is stdin.

Example output: No output will be displayed if the command is successful.

Use case 2: Create a new secret from a file

Code:

docker secret create secret_name path/to/file

Motivation: This use case allows you to create a new secret by providing the secret value through a file. This can be useful when you have the secret value stored in a file and want to create a Docker secret from it.

Explanation:

• docker secret create: The command to create a new secret.
• secret_name: The name of the secret to be created.
• path/to/file: Represents the file path that contains the secret value.

Example output: No output will be displayed if the command is successful.

Use case 3: List all secrets

Code:

docker secret ls

Motivation: This use case allows you to list all the Docker secrets on your Docker swarm. This can be useful when you want to view all the secrets available in your swarm.

Explanation:

• docker secret ls: The command to list all secrets.

Example output:

ID                          NAME           CREATED       UPDATED
d3009610h49zu2hc64fncmbbr   secret_name1   1 day ago     1 day ago
a3n70vik2d3rs7idb1hu04b1e   secret_name2   2 days ago    2 days ago

Use case 4: Display detailed information on one or multiple secrets in a human-friendly format

Code:

docker secret inspect --pretty secret_name1 secret_name2 ...

Motivation: This use case allows you to inspect and display detailed information about one or multiple Docker secrets in a human-friendly format. This can be useful when you want to view the properties and metadata of specific secrets.

Explanation:

• docker secret inspect: The command to inspect secrets.
• --pretty: Outputs the information in a human-friendly format.
• secret_name1 secret_name2 ...: Represents the name(s) of the secrets to inspect.

Example output:

[
    {
        "ID": "d3009610h49zu2hc64fncmbbr",
        "Version": {
            "Index": 47
        },
        "CreatedAt": "2022-10-10T12:00:00Z",
        "UpdatedAt": "2022-10-10T12:00:00Z",
        "Spec": {
            "Name": "secret_name1",
            "Labels": {}
        }
    },
    {
        "ID": "a3n70vik2d3rs7idb1hu04b1e",
        "Version": {
            "Index": 56
        },
        "CreatedAt": "2022-10-08T12:00:00Z",
        "UpdatedAt": "2022-10-08T12:00:00Z",
        "Spec": {
            "Name": "secret_name2",
            "Labels": {}
        }
    }
]

Use case 5: Remove one or more secrets

Code:

docker secret rm secret_name1 secret_name2 ...

Motivation: This use case allows you to remove one or more Docker secrets from your Docker swarm. This can be useful when you no longer need certain secrets or want to clean up your swarm.

Explanation:

• docker secret rm: The command to remove secrets.
• secret_name1 secret_name2 ...: Represents the name(s) of the secrets to remove.

Example output: No output will be displayed if the command is successful.

Conclusion:

The ‘docker secret’ command is a powerful tool for managing Docker swarm secrets. It allows you to create secrets from stdin or files, list all secrets, inspect secrets in a human-friendly format, and remove secrets from your swarm. By understanding these use cases and their examples, you can effectively manage Docker secrets in your swarm environment.