Optimizing Docker Build Performance in Circle CI

Namespace provides high-performance Remote Builders that can significantly speed up your Docker builds in CircleCI workflows. The easiest way to use Namespace Remote Builders is through the namespacelabs/build orb, which handles all the configuration automatically.

Access to Namespace

If your CircleCI jobs run on Namespace, your jobs can already access your workspace. Each job contains a short-lived workload identity token which grants seamless access to your Namespace resources.

Associate your CircleCI organization with Namespace

When running your jobs outside Namespace, you can still easily access your workspace. Namespace federates with CircleCI using OpenID Connect to generate short-lived access tokens.

After a one-time setup, your workflows can access Namespace indefinitely, without relying on pre-shared keys which can be more easily compromised:

Find your CircleCI Organization ID in Organization Settings > Overview in the CircleCI web application.
Email support at support@namespace.so with both your Organization ID and your Namespace workspace ID from the Dashboard.

Using Remote Builders

Add the orb to your CircleCI configuration

orbs:
  build: namespacelabs/build@0.2.1

Configure the Namespace Remote Builder environment

steps:
  - checkout
  - build/setup

Use the Remote Builder

When invoking docker build, pass namespace as --builder to buildx:

docker buildx build --builder namespace .

Complete example

version: 2.1
 
orbs:
  build: namespacelabs/build@0.2.1
 
jobs:
  docker-build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/base:stable
    steps:
      - checkout
      - build/setup
      - run:
          name: Build and push Docker image
          command: |
            docker buildx build --builder namespace .
 
workflows:
  build:
    jobs:
      - docker-build