Is there a difference between how docker containers communicate and how microservices communicate in general?

Question

So I'm doing a bit of research on how docker containers communicate with each other once they are run with docker-compose. Unfortunately, most of the sources I've found only shows the commands that I can use to allow communication between docker containers. I can't find any sources on the actual communication architecture between the containers (i.e. what exactly happens when multiple containers are communicating).

I have found a lot of sources on how microservices communicate. They seem very elaborate. Now given that each docker container in a network sort of acts as a microservice, would it be safe to assume that communication between microservices is no different between communication between containers?

Answer 1

No it wouldn't be. A docker composition could contain any combination of services with any kind of communication.

A docker container can contain a micro service but not each docker container is going to be a micro service. It comes down to the application within the container and how the image for the container was setup. The composition just means whatever you're trying to do uses components to work.

Docker container essentially just provide a network connection for whatever is running within them. The rest is up to what the person creating the containers and composition decides.