Docker-compose - volumes driver local meaning

Question

I'm making some docker-compose yml file with this link. In this config, What does meaning of driver: local in top-level volumes?

volumes:
  esdata1:
    driver: local
  esdata2:
    driver: local

Answer 1

It's volume driver, equivalent to

docker volume create --driver local --name esdata1
docker volume create --driver local --name esdata2

local means the volumes esdata1 and esdata2 are created on the same Docker host where you run your container. By using other Volume plugins, e.g.,

--driver=flocker

you are able to create a volume on a external host and mount it to the local host, say, /data-path. So, when your container writes to /data-path, it actually writes to a external disk via network.

Refer here for some sort of Volume plugins available