Tools: Deep Dive: How SwarmCLI Simplifies Docker Swarm Operations for DevOps Teams

As Docker Swarm continues to power production environments for its minimal overhead and native Docker integration, tools that enhance its usability are in high demand. In my last post, I introduced SwarmCLI, the open-source CLI tool that's like k9s for Swarm. Today, let's dive deeper into its features and how they streamline real-world workflows. The Core Workflow: From Setup to Scaling
SwarmCLI's TUI lets you navigate Swarm entities interactively—no more memorizing commands. Here's how it shines in key areas: Stacks and Services: Your Deployment Powerhouse List and Inspect: Quickly view stacks (docker stack ls) and services (docker stack services). Drill down with inspections for configs, ports, and more. Scaling and Rollbacks: Adjust replicas on the fly (docker service scale) or rollback bad deploys (docker service update --rollback). Immediate error overviews flag issues instantly. Logs and Tasks: Tail logs (docker service logs) or check task status (docker service ps) without leaving the interface—perfect for debugging live. In the Community Edition, these are all free. For teams, a Business Edition is planned, which will add features like shell access (e.g., exec into containers) and port forwarding for secure remote testing. Nodes and Networks: Infrastructure at Your Fingertips Node Management: List nodes (docker node ls), promote/demote managers, add labels, or delete nodes safely. Network Ops: Create, inspect, prune, or delete networks (docker network prune) to keep things tidy.
Configs and Secrets: Secure Data Handling CRUDE for configs and secrets, with inspection and creation. The The “Reveal” feature for secrets will be available in a Business Edition. Contexts: Multi-Env Mastery Switch between dev, staging, and prod seamlessly (docker context use), with export/import for sharing setups. Real-Use Case: Debugging a Failing Service
Imagine a service crashing in production. With SwarmCLI: Head to swarmcli.io or github.com/Eldara-Tech/swarmcli to install and contribute. If this resonates, clap and follow for more DevOps tips! Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse - List and Inspect: Quickly view stacks (docker stack ls) and services (docker stack services). Drill down with inspections for configs, ports, and more.
- Scaling and Rollbacks: Adjust replicas on the fly (docker service scale) or rollback bad deploys (docker service update --rollback). Immediate error overviews flag issues instantly.
- Logs and Tasks: Tail logs (docker service logs) or check task status (docker service ps) without leaving the interface—perfect for debugging live. - Node Management: List nodes (docker node ls), promote/demote managers, add labels, or delete nodes safely.
- Network Ops: Create, inspect, prune, or delete networks (docker network prune) to keep things tidy.
Configs and Secrets: Secure Data Handling
- CRUDE for configs and secrets, with inspection and creation. The The “Reveal” feature for secrets will be available in a Business Edition.
- Contexts: Multi-Env Mastery - List services and spot the offender.
- View tasks and logs in real-time.
- Scale down, rollback, and restart—all in seconds.
- Check node health to rule out hardware issues.
- This workflow saved our team hours compared to native CLI.