What is the purpose of the Docker Compose tool?

Docker Compose is a tool that is specifically designed for running multi-container applications in Docker. It allows users to define and manage complex applications with multiple services through a single configuration file, typically named docker-compose.yml. This file includes definitions for all the services that comprise the application, along with their configurations, networks, and volume settings.

By using Docker Compose, developers can easily start, stop, and rebuild services while orchestrating the dependencies between them. It simplifies the deployment of applications that rely on several components, such as web servers, databases, and cache servers, ensuring they can work together seamlessly and are configured correctly from the outset.

The other options touch on aspects of Docker but do not capture the core purpose of Docker Compose. Creating images and managing networks can be part of the Docker ecosystem but are not the primary focus of Docker Compose, which is fundamentally about orchestrating multi-container applications. Additionally, while Docker can offer security features, improving security is not the main function of Docker Compose.