How to list services in a Docker stack named 'web-store' using docker stack services.

Outline

• Opening: a calm, practical intro to Docker Swarm and why listing stack services matters

• Quick refresher: what a stack is, what services are, and how they fit together

• The command you’ll actually use: docker stack services web-store

• Reading the output: what the columns mean and how to act on them

• Why the other options don’t fit

• Real-world tips and small tricks to smooth the workflow

• Tiny detours that become useful habits (related commands and ideas)

• Wrap-up: a practical takeaway you can reuse in daily work

A practical guide to peeking at a stack’s heartbeat

Let me explain a simple truth about Docker Swarm: when you’ve got a stack, you’ve got multiple services working in concert. It’s a neat, sometimes chaotic orchestra, especially when you’re deploying changes to production-like environments. The quickest way to understand what’s happening is to list the services that belong to that stack. Think of it as stepping onto a stage and checking which instruments are plugged in and ready to play.

A quick refresher on stacks and services

In Docker, a stack is a set of services defined together, usually via a Compose file. You deploy that stack to a Swarm, and Docker takes care of coordinating the containers across nodes. Each service in the stack is like a performer in the lineup — replicas, images, ports, and constraints all matter. When you want to see the current lineup at a glance, you need a command that’s tailored to stacks, not just any container.

The command you’ll actually use

To list the services in a stack called web-store, you’d run:

docker stack services web-store

That exact syntax is the key. It’s the command group designed for Swarm stacks, and the services subcommand is what narrows the view to the components that belong to the stack in question. It feels deliberate, because it is. You’re not listing every service in the cluster, just the ones that compose this particular stack.

What you’ll see and what it means

Running docker stack services web-store gives you a concise snapshot of each service. You’ll typically see columns like:

• ID: a short identifier for the service

• NAME: the name that combines the stack and service identifiers

• MODE: how the service is deployed (for example, replicated)

• REPLICAS: how many tasks are desired versus how many are running

• IMAGE: the container image in use

• PORTS (if applicable): how external traffic is routed to the service

The exact layout can vary a bit depending on your Docker version, but the gist is consistent: you’re getting a quick view of what’s “alive” in that stack, how many instances you expect, and whether anything needs attention. It’s a helpful, real-time pulse check you can perform without wading through every log file or digging into individual containers.

Why this particular command matters

The stack services view gives you a centralized picture. Instead of hunting through dozens of containers, you see the services that define the stack’s behavior. This is especially useful after a deployment, when you want to confirm that replicas match the desired state and that images are the ones you intended to deploy. It’s also handy when you’re debugging issues that crop up in production-like environments, as you can quickly confirm whether a service has become unavailable or is stuck in a weird state.

A few quick notes about the other options

To keep things honest, here’s a quick glance at why the other choices don’t fit for listing stack services:

• A. docker services web-store — This isn’t a valid Docker command. It doesn’t correspond to the command groups Docker exposes for service management within stacks.

• C. docker list services web-store — Also not a real command. The word list isn’t used in this context in the Docker CLI.

• D. docker stack list web-store — This sounds plausible but isn’t how you query services. The stack list command would be about listing stacks, not the services inside one stack.

So the clean, correct choice is docker stack services web-store. It’s a small bit of syntax, but it unlocks a precise view into what your stack is doing.

Reading the output with a practical eye

Let’s connect the dots. Suppose you see REPLICAS as 2/2 for a service, and one of them drops to 0/2. That’s your cue to check what’s happening—maybe a node left the swarm, or a task failed, or there’s a resource constraint. If the IMAGE column shows a newer tag than you deployed, you know you’re not looking at the intended version. If PORTS aren’t mapped as you expect, you’ve got a surface area for traffic routing tweaks.

These little checks matter because they keep you in touch with reality. It’s easy to assume everything’s fine because nothing exploded, but a glance at the service list can reveal subtle drift before it becomes a bigger problem.

A few practical tips for everyday use

• Keep a mental map of your stacks and their services. When you deploy changes, a quick glance at docker stack services your-stack-name can save you from silent misconfigurations.

• Use the --format option to tailor what you see. For example, docker stack services web-store --format '{{.Name}}: {{.Replicas}}/{{.Mode}}' gives you a compact, readable line for each service.

• Combine with other commands for a quick health check. If you suspect a networking issue, you might pair it with docker service ps or docker ps to trace tasks and containers.

• Automate a light touch routine. A small script that runs docker stack services on a schedule can alert you if a service drifts from its desired state, without being noisy.

A few related commands that round out the toolkit

• docker stack ls — Lists all stacks deployed to the Swarm. Great for getting a quick inventory.

• docker stack ps STACK — Shows the tasks (the individual containers) for a given stack, giving you visibility into where each task runs.

• docker service ls — If you’re curious about all services across the swarm, not just those in a single stack.

Real-world flavor and a tiny tangent

In real projects, you’ll often see teams switch between stacks as features roll out. One day you’re inspecting web-store, the next day you’re checking a data-processing stack, and your muscle memory for docker stack services comes in handy again and again. It’s a small capability, but it makes a big difference in confidence. You don’t have to guess whether the service is running or paused—this command lays it out plainly.

If you’ve ever wrestled with a sporadically failing service, you know the value of a clean, precise view. It’s a little like having a dashboard that’s honest about what’s happening, not what you hope is happening. And yes, sometimes the data you see raises questions you didn’t anticipate. That’s not a failure; it’s a nudge to dig a touch deeper—perhaps into logs, maybe into resource limits, possibly into a misconfigured constraint. Either way, you’ve got a reliable starting point.

Putting it all together

Here’s the bottom line: when you need to understand the current state of a stack’s components, docker stack services web-store is the command you reach for. It speaks the language of stacks, surfaces the essential details (like IDs, names, modes, and replica counts), and keeps you from getting lost in the swamp of containers. It’s the kind of tool you learn once and then reach for again and again, almost by habit.

If you’re working with Docker in a Swarm environment, this command becomes part of your daily workflow. It’s simple, precise, and surprisingly telling. A small sentence, really, that carries a lot of meaning:

• What’s the stack structure right now?

• Are the replicas aligned with the desired state?

• Is there anything out of line that needs attention?

That clarity is what good operator work feels like.

Final takeaway

In the end, you want a quick, dependable way to check the heartbeat of a stack. docker stack services web-store gives you that heartbeat in one line. It’s a tidy tool for a messy world, a tiny bit of discipline in a complex orchestration. And when you get used to it, you’ll miss it the moment you forget. So keep it handy, add your own formatting touches if you like, and let the command do the heavy lifting while you stay focused on what matters—the service itself and how it serves your users.