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refresh: admin guides
sarahsanders-docker Oct 24, 2025
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Update content/guides/admin-set-up/finalize-plans-and-setup.md
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Update content/manuals/subscription/details.md
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88 changes: 64 additions & 24 deletions content/guides/admin-set-up/_index.md
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---
title: Set up your company for success with Docker
linkTitle: Admin set up
linkTitle: Admin set up
summary: Get the most out of Docker by streamlining workflows, standardizing development environments, and ensuring smooth deployments across your company.
description: Learn how to onboard your company and take advantage of all of the Docker products and features.
tags: [admin]
params:
featured: true
time: 20 minutes
image:
image:
resource_links:
- title: Overview of Administration in Docker
url: /admin/
Expand All @@ -27,42 +27,82 @@ params:
url: /subscription/details/
---

Docker's tools provide a scalable, secure platform that empowers your developers to create, ship, and run applications faster. As an administrator, you have the ability to streamline workflows, standardize development environments, and ensure smooth deployments across your organization.
Docker's tools provide a scalable, secure platform that empowers your
developers to create, ship, and run applications faster. As an administrator,
you can streamline workflows, standardize development environments, and ensure
smooth deployments across your organization.

By configuring Docker products to suit your company’s needs, you can optimize performance, simplify user management, and maintain control over resources. This guide will help you set up and configure Docker products to maximize productivity and success for your team whilst meeting compliance and security policies
By configuring Docker products to suit your company's needs, you can optimize
performance, simplify user management, and maintain control over resources.
This guide helps you set up and configure Docker products to maximize
productivity and success for your team while meeting compliance and security
policies.

## Who’s this for?

- Administrators responsible for managing Docker environments within their organization
- Administrators responsible for managing Docker environments within their
organization
- IT leaders looking to streamline development and deployment workflows
- Teams aiming to standardize application environments across multiple users
- Organizations seeking to optimize their use of Docker products for greater scalability and efficiency
- Organizations with [Docker Business subscriptions](https://www.docker.com/pricing/).
- Organizations seeking to optimize their use of Docker products for greater
scalability and efficiency
- Organizations with a
[Docker Business subscription](https://www.docker.com/pricing/)

## What you’ll learn

- The importance of signing in to the company's Docker organization for access to usage data and enhanced functionality.
- How to standardize Docker Desktop versions and settings to create a consistent baseline for all users, while allowing flexibility for advanced developers.
- Strategies for implementing Docker’s security configurations to meet company IT and software development security requirements without hindering developer productivity.
- Why signing into your company's Docker organization provides access to usage
data and enhanced functionality
- How to standardize Docker Desktop versions and settings to create a consistent
baseline for all users, while allowing flexibility for advanced developers
- Strategies for implementing Docker's security configurations to meet company
IT and software development security requirements without hindering developer productivity

## Features covered

- Organizations. These are the core structure for managing your Docker environment, grouping users, teams, and image repositories. Your organization was created with your subscription and is managed by one or more Owners. Users signed into the organization are assigned seats based on the purchased subscription.
- Enforce sign-in. By default, Docker Desktop does not require sign-in. However, you can configure settings to enforce this and ensure your developers sign in to your Docker organization.
- SSO. Without SSO, user management in a Docker organization is manual. Setting up an SSO connection between your identity provider and Docker ensures compliance with your security policy and automates user provisioning. Adding SCIM further automates user provisioning and de-provisioning.
- General and security settings. Configuring key settings will ensure smooth onboarding and usage of Docker products within your environment. Additionally, you can enable security features based on your company's specific security needs.
This guide covers the following Docker features:

## Who needs to be involved?
- [Organizations](/manuals/admin/organization/_index.md): The core structure
for managing your Docker environment, grouping users, teams, and image
repositories. Your organization was created with your subscription and is
managed by one or more owners. Users signed into the organization are
assigned seats based on the purchased subscription.
- [Enforce sign-in](/manuals/enterprise/security/enforce-sign-in/_index.md):
By default, Docker Desktop doesn't require sign-in. You can configure
settings to enforce this and ensure your developers sign in to your
Docker organization.
- [SSO](/manuals/enterprise/security/single-sign-on/_index.md): Without SSO,
user management in a Docker organization is manual. Setting
up an SSO connection between your identity provider and Docker ensures
compliance with your security policy and automates user provisioning. Adding
SCIM further automates user provisioning and de-provisioning.
- General and security settings: Configuring key settings ensures smooth
onboarding and usage of Docker products within your environment. You can also
enable security features based on your company's specific security needs.

- Docker organization owner: A Docker organization owner must be involved in the process and will be required for several key steps.
- DNS team: The DNS team is needed during the SSO setup to verify the company domain.
- MDM team: Responsible for distributing Docker-specific configuration files to developer machines.
- Identity Provider team: Required for configuring the identity provider and establishing the SSO connection during setup.
- Development lead: A development lead with knowledge of Docker configurations to help establish a baseline for developer settings.
- IT team: An IT representative familiar with company desktop policies to assist with aligning Docker configuration to those policies.
- Infosec: A security team member with knowledge of company development security policies to help configure security features.
- Docker testers: A small group of developers to test the new settings and configurations before full deployment.
## Who needs to be involved

- Docker organization owner: Must be involved in the process and is required
for several key steps
- DNS team: Needed during the SSO setup to verify the company domain
- MDM team: Responsible for distributing Docker-specific configuration files to
developer machines
- Identity Provider team: Required for configuring the identity provider and
establishing the SSO connection during setup
- Development lead: A development lead with knowledge of Docker configurations
to help establish a baseline for developer settings
- IT team: An IT representative familiar with company desktop policies to
assist with aligning Docker configuration to those policies
- Infosec: A security team member with knowledge of company development
security policies to help configure security features
- Docker testers: A small group of developers to test the new settings and
configurations before full deployment

## Tools integration

Okta, Entra ID SAML 2.0, Azure Connect (OIDC), MDM solutions like Intune
This guide covers integration with:

- Okta
- Entra ID SAML 2.0
- Azure Connect (OIDC)
- MDM solutions like Intune
67 changes: 54 additions & 13 deletions content/guides/admin-set-up/comms-and-info-gathering.md
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weight: 10
---

## Step one: Communicate with your developers and IT teams
## Communicate with your developers and IT teams

### Docker user communication
Before rolling out Docker Desktop across your organization, coordinate with key stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition.

You may already have Docker Desktop users within your company, and some steps in this process may affect how they interact with the platform. It's highly recommended to communicate early with users, informing them that as part of the subscription onboarding, they will be upgraded to a supported version of Docker Desktop.
### Notify Docker Desktop users

Additionally, communicate that settings will be reviewed to optimize productivity, and users will be required to sign in to the company’s Docker organization using their business email to fully utilize the subscription benefits.
You may already have Docker Desktop users within your company. Some steps in
this onboarding process may affect how they interact with the platform.

### MDM team communication
Communicate early with users to inform them that:

Device management solutions, such as Intune and Jamf, are commonly used for software distribution across enterprises, typically managed by a dedicated MDM team. It is recommended that you engage with this team early in the process to understand their requirements and the lead time for deploying changes.
- They'll be upgraded to a supported version of Docker Desktop as part of the subscription onboarding
- Settings will be reviewed and optimized for productivity
- They'll need to sign in to the company's Docker organization using their
business email to access subscription benefits

Several key setup steps in this guide require the use of JSON files, registry keys, or .plist files that need to be distributed to developer machines. It’s a best practice to use MDM tools for deploying these configuration files and ensuring their integrity is preserved.
### Engage with your MDM team

## Step two: Identify Docker organizations
Device management solutions, such as Intune and Jamf, are commonly used for
software distribution across enterprises. These tools are typically managed by a dedicated MDM team.

Some companies may have more than one [Docker organization](/manuals/admin/organization/_index.md) created. These organizations may have been created for specific purposes, or may not be needed anymore. If you suspect your company has more than one Docker organization, it's recommended you survey your teams to see if they have their own organizations. You can also contact your Docker Customer Success representative to get a list of organizations with users whose emails match your domain name.
Engage with this team early in the process to:

## Step three: Gather requirements
- Understand their requirements and lead time for deploying changes
- Coordinate the distribution of configuration files

Through [Settings Management](/manuals/enterprise/security/hardened-desktop/settings-management/_index.md), Docker provides numerous configuration parameters that can be preset. The Docker organization owner, development lead, and infosec representative should review these settings to establish the company’s baseline configuration, including security features and [enforcing sign-in](/manuals/enterprise/security/enforce-sign-in/_index.md) for Docker Desktop users. Additionally, they should decide whether to take advantage of other Docker products, such as [Docker Scout](/manuals/scout/_index.md), which is included in the subscription.
Several setup steps in this guide require JSON files, registry keys, or .plist
files to be distributed to developer machines. Use MDM tools to deploy these configuration files and ensure their integrity.

## Identify Docker organizations

Some companies may have more than one
[Docker organization](/manuals/admin/organization/_index.md) created. These
organizations may have been created for specific purposes, or may not be
needed anymore.

If you suspect your company has multiple Docker organizations:

- Survey your teams to see if they have their own organizations
- Contact your Docker Support to get a list of organizations with users whose
emails match your domain name

## Gather requirements

[Settings Management](/manuals/enterprise/security/hardened-desktop/settings-management/_index.md) lets you preset numerous configuration parameters for Docker Desktop.

Work with the following stakeholders to establish your company's baseline
configuration:

- Docker organization owner
- Development lead
- Information security representative

Review these areas together:

- Security features and
[enforcing sign-in](/manuals/enterprise/security/enforce-sign-in/_index.md)
for Docker Desktop users
- Additional Docker products included in your subscriptions

To view the parameters that can be preset, see [Configure Settings Management](/manuals/enterprise/security/hardened-desktop/settings-management/configure-json-file.md#step-two-configure-the-settings-you-want-to-lock-in).

## Optional step four: Meet with the Docker Implementation team
## Optional: Meet with the Docker Implementation team

The Docker Implementation team can help you set up your organization,
configure SSO, enforce sign-in, and configure Docker Desktop.

The Docker Implementation team can help you step through setting up your organization, configuring SSO, enforcing sign-in, and configuring Docker. You can reach out to set up a meeting by emailing successteam@docker.com.
To schedule a meeting, email successteam@docker.com.
31 changes: 24 additions & 7 deletions content/guides/admin-set-up/deploy.md
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---
title: Deploy
title: Deploy your Docker setup
description: Deploy your Docker setup across your company.
weight: 40
---

> [!WARNING]
> Ensure you communicate with your users before proceeding, and confirm that your IT and MDM teams are prepared to handle any unexpected issues, as these steps will affect all existing users signing into your Docker organization.
>
> Communicate with your users before proceeding, and confirm that your IT and
MDM teams are prepared to handle any unexpected issues, as these steps will
affect all existing users signing into your Docker organization.

## Step one: Enforce SSO
## Enforce SSO

Enforcing SSO means that anyone who has a Docker profile with an email address that matches your verified domain must sign in using your SSO connection. Make sure the Identity provider groups associated with your SSO connection cover all the developer groups that you want to have access to the Docker subscription.
Enforcing SSO means that anyone who has a Docker profile with an email address
that matches your verified domain must sign in using your SSO connection. Make
sure the Identity provider groups associated with your SSO connection cover all
the developer groups that you want to have access to the Docker subscription.

## Step two: Deploy configuration settings and enforce sign-in to users
For instructions on how to enforce SSO, see [Enforce SSO](/manuals/enterprise/security/single-sign-on/connect.md).

Have the MDM team deploy the configuration files for Docker to all users.
## Deploy configuration settings and enforce sign-in to users

Congratulations, you have successfully completed the admin implementation process for Docker.
Have the MDM team deploy the configuration files for Docker to all users.

## Next steps

Congratulations, you've successfully completed the admin implementation process
for Docker.

To continue optimizing your Docker environment:

- Review your [organization's usage data](/manuals/admin/organization/insights.md) to track adoption
- Monitor [Docker Scout findings](/manuals/scout/explore/analysis.md) for security insights
- Explore [additional security features](/manuals/enterprise/security/_index.md) to enhance your configuration
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