Dockerization

Dockerize .NET: SDK Builds, Runtime-Only Images, Production Ready

Microsoft publishes excellent .NET Docker images, but most teams use them incorrectly — shipping the SDK image to production or missing the chiseled variants that cut image size in half. We build .NET containers using the proper SDK/runtime split with chiseled base images, non-root users, and health check endpoints.

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Why Dockerize .NET

The .NET SDK image is 800+ MB — it includes compilers, NuGet tooling, and debug symbols you never need in production. Yet many teams deploy with FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0 because the Dockerfile was copy-pasted from a tutorial.

A proper multi-stage build uses the SDK image for dotnet publish and a runtime-only or chiseled image for the final stage, cutting image size to 80-120 MB and removing the attack surface of build tooling.

Our Docker Implementation for .NET

Two-stage build using Microsoft's official images:

  • Build stage: FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0 AS build — runs dotnet restore first (lockfile layer cache), then dotnet publish -c Release -o /app/publish --no-restore with optional -p:PublishTrimmed=true for AOT-compatible apps.
  • Runtime stage: FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0-jammy-chiseled — the chiseled variant is a distroless-like Ubuntu image with no shell, no package manager, and non-root by default. Copies published output to /app.

Compose file sets ASPNETCORE_URLS=http://+:8080, maps the port, includes a health check against /health, and sets DOTNET_EnableDiagnostics=0 to disable diagnostics in production.

What You Get

  • Multi-stage Dockerfile with chiseled runtime image — 80-120 MB
  • docker-compose.yml with health checks, resource limits, and non-root execution
  • NuGet restore layer caching for fast rebuilds
  • Optional native AOT build for sub-50 MB images and millisecond startup
  • CI pipeline with dotnet restore cache and Docker layer cache

Why Anubiz Engineering

100% async — no calls, no meetings
Delivered in days, not weeks
Full documentation included
Production-grade from day one
Security-first approach
Post-delivery support included

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Skip the research. Tell us what you need, and we'll scope it, implement it, and hand it back — fully documented and production-ready.

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