Start by creating a `Dockerfile` in the root of your Spring Boot project. This file will contain instructions for building a Docker image. Here’s a basic example: Dockerfile FROM openjdk:11-jre-slim WORKDIR /app COPY target/your-spring-boot-app.jar app.jar ENTRYPOINT [“java”, “-jar”, “app.jar”]

Replace `your-spring-boot-app.jar` with the actual name of your JAR file. Step 2: Build the Docker Image: Open a terminal, navigate to your project’s root directory, and execute the following command: docker build -t your-docker-image-name . Replace `your-docker-image-name` with the desired name for your Docker image. Step 3: Run the Docker Container: After successfully building the image, run a container using the following command: docker run -p 8080:8080 your-docker-image-name This command maps port 8080 on your host machine to port 8080 inside the container. Adjust the ports as needed. — **Step 4: Verify the Container:** Access your Spring Boot application at http://localhost:8080 using a web browser or tools like curl. Ensure the application runs as expected within the Docker container. — **Step 5: Docker Compose (Optional):** For applications with dependencies, consider using Docker Compose. Create a `docker-compose.yml` file to define multi-container environments. Adjust configurations based on your application’s requirements. — **Step 6: Push to a Container Registry (Optional):** To share or deploy your Docker image, push it to a container registry like Docker Hub or others. Tag and push the image with these commands: “`bash docker tag your-docker-image-name your-container-registry/your-repo:tag docker push your-container-registry/your-repo:tag “` Replace `your-container-registry/your-repo:tag` with the appropriate values. — **Conclusion:** Congratulations! You’ve successfully containerized your Spring Boot application, making it more portable and scalable. Consider integrating these steps into your CI/CD pipeline for seamless deployment and management.