Rancher 2 CLI: What is the purpose of `rancher up`, which works with 'compose' files?

Rancher 2.x
1

The Rancher CLI has this intriguing command that appears to work with Compose files. Is this command intended for cluster operations only, or can it be used for Compose-style application stacks instead? I can’t tell from the information provided, and I only see one page that references this command. This may have been asked before, but it’s hard to search for a phrase like “rancher up” in the forums or in https://rancher.com/docs/

# rancher help up
apply compose config

Usage: 
  rancher up [OPTIONS] [arg...]

Options:
   --file value, -f value  The location of compose config file
2

What have you tried, and what behaviour did you observe (it’s easier to answer when the OP provides some context and has experienced some unexplained behaviours) ?

3

I don’t want to run an unknown command against my cluster without some context about what it does, which is why I am posting here. Since there isn’t a --dry-run flag, I don’t want to accidentally make unintended changes to my cluster.

4

Why don’t you just set up a local disposable cluster on your laptop using k3s or k3d, then you can experiment in safety.