The Docker command line presents a seamless way of working with containers, and it’s easy to forget that the command line doesn’t really do anything itself--it just sends instructions to the API running on the Docker Engine. Separating the command line from the Engine has two major benefits--other tools can consume the Docker API, so the command line isn’t the only way to manage containers, and you can configure your local command line to work with a remote machine running Docker. It’s amazingly powerful that you can switch from running containers on your laptop to managing a cluster with dozens of nodes, using all the same Docker commands you’re used to, without leaving your desk.