@Marvin with a "docker-git" deployment, will changes to Python packages in the git repo take effect at run time, or are they usually baked in during the build process? Ex: we use UV to manage dependencies; in most/all examples I've seen for Prefect Dockerfiles, there's a step to install the requirements (either using pip with requirements.txt, or doing a "uv sync"). Will it attempt to do anything similar at runtime, or do we need to set up CI/CD to build a new docker image every time a dependency changes?

When using a "docker-git" deployment in Prefect, changes to Python packages in your git repository will not automatically take effect at runtime. Instead, these changes are typically baked into the Docker image during the build process. This means that if you update dependencies or other code in your repository, you will need to rebuild your Docker image to reflect these changes. Here are some key points to consider: 1. Docker Image Build: When you create a Docker image, dependencies are installed during the build process using a

requirements.txt

file or a tool like

uv

. This is a common practice in most Docker-based deployments. 2. Updating Dependencies: If you update your Python packages or other dependencies in your repository, you must rebuild your Docker image to include these updates. The new image needs to be pushed to your container registry for Prefect to use it in deployments. 3. CI/CD Pipeline: To automate this process, it's common to set up a CI/CD pipeline that triggers a new build and deployment whenever changes are pushed to the repository. This ensures that your Prefect deployments always use the latest version of your code and dependencies. 4. Runtime Behavior: Prefect does not attempt to update dependencies at runtime for Docker-based deployments. The Docker image used for the deployment will contain all necessary code and dependencies as of the time it was built. For more details, you can refer to the Prefect Docker deployment documentation and the flow code storage guide.

@Marvin does the prefect deployment actually need to happen again when those changes are made? Or is it just the Docker build process that needs to be re-run?

When you make changes to your code or dependencies and rebuild your Docker image, you typically do not need to create a new Prefect deployment if the deployment configuration (like entrypoints or parameters) hasn't changed. However, you do need to ensure that the updated Docker image is used in your existing deployment. Here’s how it works: 1. Docker Build Process: Rebuild your Docker image to include the latest changes in your code or dependencies. Push this new image to your container registry. 2. Update Deployment to Use New Image: You might need to update the Prefect deployment to point to the new Docker image tag. This can usually be done by updating the deployment configuration with the new image tag. 3. Re-deploy if Necessary: If your deployment configuration (e.g., entrypoints, parameters) remains unchanged, you don't need to create a new deployment from scratch. Just ensure the existing deployment uses the updated image. In essence, the critical step is updating the Docker image and ensuring your deployment references this new image. If the deployment configuration itself hasn't changed, you can avoid redeploying. However, if you do change deployment parameters or configurations, you'll need to update the deployment accordingly. For more details, you can refer to the Prefect Docker deployment documentation.

@Marvin Is there an easy way to see the ID of the docker container that was used for a given run when using a "docker-git" deployment?

In Prefect, there isn't a direct built-in feature to retrieve the Docker container ID used for a specific run directly from the Prefect UI or API. However, you can achieve this by following these steps: 1. Logging: During the deployment setup, you can configure logging within your Docker container to output the container ID. This can be done by including a command in your Dockerfile or entrypoint script to log the container ID using

docker

commands. For example, you could log the output of

cat /proc/self/cgroup | grep "docker" | sed 's/^.*\///' | tail -n1

to your Prefect logs. 2. Custom Metadata: If you have control over the deployment process, you can add custom metadata to each flow run that includes the container ID. This requires capturing the container ID during the run and updating the flow run metadata via the Prefect API. 3. Infrastructure Configuration: You can configure your infrastructure to capture and store this information externally, such as in a logging service or a database, which you can then query separately. These approaches require some custom setup but allow you to track the container ID for each run. For more detailed guidance on infrastructure setup, you might want to refer to the Prefect Docker deployment documentation.