Alter task history retention inside the Docker Swarm cluster to ensure that there are no stopped containers.

By default, task history retention is set to 5.

$ docker node ps --filter "name=blog_staging" swarm-cerberus

ID                  NAME                 IMAGE                                                NODE                DESIRED STATE       CURRENT STATE             ERROR               PORTS
ormho76nb30u        blog_staging.2       registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging           swarm-cerberus      Running             Running 14 minutes ago                        
ttrmtuh5xpv4         \_ blog_staging.2   registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging           swarm-cerberus      Shutdown            Shutdown 16 minutes ago                       
p2of726hvvbg         \_ blog_staging.2   registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging           swarm-cerberus      Shutdown            Shutdown 15 hours ago                         
nvk4xr78td9m         \_ blog_staging.2   registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging           swarm-cerberus      Shutdown            Shutdown 38 hours ago                         
a0n2lcmhjx6f         \_ blog_staging.2   registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging           swarm-cerberus      Shutdown            Shutdown 38 hours ago

Task history retention can be changed globally.

$ docker swarm update --help

Usage:	docker swarm update [OPTIONS]
Update the swarm
Options:
      --autolock                        Change manager autolocking setting (true|false)
      --cert-expiry duration            Validity period for node certificates (ns|us|ms|s|m|h) (default 2160h0m0s)
      --dispatcher-heartbeat duration   Dispatcher heartbeat period (ns|us|ms|s|m|h) (default 5s)
      --external-ca external-ca         Specifications of one or more certificate signing endpoints
      --max-snapshots uint              Number of additional Raft snapshots to retain
      --snapshot-interval uint          Number of log entries between Raft snapshots (default 10000)
      --task-history-limit int          Task history retention limit (default 5)

Set task history retention to **** to disable it.

This change will not be applied immediately. You need to update the service to see the difference.
$ docker swarm update --task-history-limit 0

Swarm updated.

Update service to reapply task history retention.

$ docker service update --with-registry-auth --image registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging blog_staging | grep ^verify:\ Service"

verify: Service converged

There are no stopped containers.

$ docker node ps --filter "name=blog_staging" swarm-cerberus

ID                  NAME                IMAGE                                                NODE                DESIRED STATE       CURRENT STATE              ERROR               PORTS
lqblu9mgjhxl        blog_staging.2      registry.example.com/websites/blog:staging           swarm-cerberus      Running             Preparing 49 seconds ago

Additional information

You can set this option during swarm initialization.

$ docker swarm init --help

Usage:	docker swarm init [OPTIONS]
Initialize a swarm
Options:
      --advertise-addr string                  Advertised address (format: <ip|interface>[:port])
      --autolock                               Enable manager autolocking (requiring an unlock key to start a stopped manager)
      --availability string                    Availability of the node ("active"|"pause"|"drain") (default "active")
      --cert-expiry duration                   Validity period for node certificates (ns|us|ms|s|m|h) (default 2160h0m0s)
      --data-path-addr string                  Address or interface to use for data path traffic (format: <ip|interface>)
      --data-path-port uint32                  Port number to use for data path traffic (1024 - 49151). If no value is set or is set to 0, the default port (4789) is used.
      --default-addr-pool ipNetSlice           default address pool in CIDR format (default [])
      --default-addr-pool-mask-length uint32   default address pool subnet mask length (default 24)
      --dispatcher-heartbeat duration          Dispatcher heartbeat period (ns|us|ms|s|m|h) (default 5s)
      --external-ca external-ca                Specifications of one or more certificate signing endpoints
      --force-new-cluster                      Force create a new cluster from current state
      --listen-addr node-addr                  Listen address (format: <ip|interface>[:port]) (default 0.0.0.0:2377)
      --max-snapshots uint                     Number of additional Raft snapshots to retain
      --snapshot-interval uint                 Number of log entries between Raft snapshots (default 10000)
      --task-history-limit int                 Task history retention limit (default 5)
ko-fi