# Understand Docker plugins You can extend the capabilities of the Docker Engine by loading third-party plugins. This page explains the types of plugins and provides links to several volume and network plugins for Docker. ## Types of plugins Plugins extend Docker's functionality. They come in specific types. For example, a [volume plugin](plugins_volume.md) might enable Docker volumes to persist across multiple Docker hosts and a [network plugin](plugins_network.md) might provide network plumbing. Currently Docker supports volume and network driver plugins. In the future it will support additional plugin types. ## Installing a plugin Follow the instructions in the plugin's documentation. ## Finding a plugin The following plugins exist: * The [Blockbridge plugin](https://github.com/blockbridge/blockbridge-docker-volume) is a volume plugin that provides access to an extensible set of container-based persistent storage options. It supports single and multi-host Docker environments with features that include tenant isolation, automated provisioning, encryption, secure deletion, snapshots and QoS. * The [Convoy plugin](https://github.com/rancher/convoy) is a volume plugin for a variety of storage back-ends including device mapper and NFS. It's a simple standalone executable written in Go and provides the framework to support vendor-specific extensions such as snapshots, backups and restore. * The [Flocker plugin](https://clusterhq.com/docker-plugin/) is a volume plugin which provides multi-host portable volumes for Docker, enabling you to run databases and other stateful containers and move them around across a cluster of machines. * The [GlusterFS plugin](https://github.com/calavera/docker-volume-glusterfs) is another volume plugin that provides multi-host volumes management for Docker using GlusterFS. * The [Keywhiz plugin](https://github.com/calavera/docker-volume-keywhiz) is a plugin that provides credentials and secret management using Keywhiz as a central repository. * The [Netshare plugin](https://github.com/gondor/docker-volume-netshare) is a volume plugin that provides volume management for NFS 3/4, AWS EFS and CIFS file systems. * The [OpenStorage Plugin](https://github.com/libopenstorage/openstorage) is a cluster aware volume plugin that provides volume management for file and block storage solutions. It implements a vendor neutral specification for implementing extensions such as CoS, encryption, and snapshots. It has example drivers based on FUSE, NFS, NBD and EBS to name a few. * The [REX-Ray plugin](https://github.com/emccode/rexray) is a volume plugin which is written in Go and provides advanced storage functionality for many platforms including VirtualBox, EC2, Google Compute Engine, OpenStack, and EMC. * The [Contiv Volume Plugin](https://github.com/contiv/volplugin) is an open source volume plugin that provides multi-tenant, persistent, distributed storage with intent based consumption using ceph underneath. * The [Contiv Networking](https://github.com/contiv/netplugin) is an open source libnetwork plugin to provide infrastructure and security policies for a multi-tenant micro services deployment, while providing an integration to physical network for non-container workload. Contiv Networking implements the remote driver and IPAM APIs available in Docker 1.9 onwards. * The [Weave Network Plugin](http://docs.weave.works/weave/latest_release/plugin.html) creates a virtual network that connects your Docker containers - across multiple hosts or clouds and enables automatic discovery of applications. Weave networks are resilient, partition tolerant, secure and work in partially connected networks, and other adverse environments - all configured with delightful simplicity. ## Troubleshooting a plugin If you are having problems with Docker after loading a plugin, ask the authors of the plugin for help. The Docker team may not be able to assist you. ## Writing a plugin If you are interested in writing a plugin for Docker, or seeing how they work under the hood, see the [docker plugins reference](plugin_api.md).