What type of applications - Stateless or Stateful are more suitable for Docker Container?

When considering whether stateless or stateful applications are more suitable for Docker containers, it is generally accepted that stateless applications are more suitable. Here are the key reasons:

Stateless Applications

1. Ephemeral Nature: Docker containers are designed to be ephemeral, meaning they can be created, destroyed, and recreated without retaining any internal state. Stateless applications align well with this characteristic because they do not need to store any session data or state information within the container itself[1][4][13].
2. Scalability: Stateless applications can be easily scaled horizontally. Since each instance of a stateless application is independent and does not rely on any stored state, additional instances can be added or removed without any complex coordination[1][3][4].
3. Simplicity: Managing stateless applications is simpler because there is no need to handle session data or state synchronization across multiple instances. This reduces the complexity of the application architecture and makes it easier to maintain and debug[1][3][12].
4. Fault Tolerance: Stateless applications are inherently more fault-tolerant. If a container fails, it can be replaced without any loss of state, as all necessary data is typically stored in external databases or services[1][12].

Stateful Applications

1. Data Persistence: Stateful applications require persistent storage to maintain their state across container restarts. This can be challenging because Docker containers do not natively support persistent storage. Solutions like Docker volumes or external storage systems (e.g., Amazon EFS) are needed to manage stateful data[7][15][17].
2. Complexity in Scaling: Scaling stateful applications horizontally is more complex due to the need to manage shared data dependencies and ensure data consistency across multiple instances[5][6][8].
3. Backup and Recovery: Ensuring proper backup and recovery mechanisms for stateful data within containers can be more challenging compared to traditional infrastructu...