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BuildPulse Docker Build Cache

BuildPulse provides a co-located Docker build cache across all of our runners. This cache acts as a build cache for docker image layers, as well as a transparent pull-through cache for Docker Hub base images. Every time your CI pipeline initiates a docker pull, it first checks the cache. If no image is found in the cache, the cachee will initially pull from Docker Hub and cache it, significantly speeding up subsequent pulls.

  • Cut build time by skipping re-building the same image layers
  • Commong docker images layers load more quickly due to co-located cache
  • Avoid Docker Hub Rate Limits by pulling from co-located cache

BuildPulse recommends using Docker build layer caching, which caches and reuses image layers from previous builds, significantly reducing build times.

Usage​

To enable incremental Docker builds, update your workflow with the buildpulse/setup-buildx-action@v3 GitHub Action:

name: Configure Docker Buildx builder
- uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+ uses: buildpulse/setup-buildx-action@v3
  id: setup_builder

You can use the builder name output of this action to configure your docker build scripts.

${{ steps.setup_builder.outputs.name }}

If you're using docker/build-push-action, replace it with buildpulse/build-push-action@v6 to make use of the docker build cache.

name: Build and push docker image
- uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
+ uses: buildpulse/build-push-action@v6
  with:
    tags: org/app:latest

See the GitHub Action buildpulse/setup-buildx-action@v3 for more details on builder setup and configuration, and buildpulse/build-push-action@v6 image build configuration.

How Docker Build Cache Works​

Docker images are composed of layers, each generated by a Dockerfile instruction. When running docker build, docker will build all of the layers not found locally. With the docker build cache enabled, docker first consults the cache and reuses layers if found.