Container

Container is a type of computer software technology used to separate applications from their underlying resources in order to enhance portability, scalability, and software isolation. Containers are a type of virtualization technology that has seen an uptick in popularity since its introduction in 2013, and is increasingly seen as a way for organizations to optimize their technology stack and for developers to build and deploy applications more efficiently.

A container is different from a virtual machine in that it has a much lighter footprint and does not require the full operating system to operate, making them much faster and more efficient to run than a VM. This is because a container typically runs a single process with its own, isolated user space, allowing applications to run without interference from other processes that may be running on the host server. Containers are also far easier to scale up quickly than VMs, allowing organizations and developers to more easily manage their resources and to rapidly scale applications as needed.

The two most popular types of containers are Docker and CoreOS. Docker-based containers are the most prevalent and are also open-source, allowing them to be used for free across different platforms and architectures. CoreOS, on the other hand, is a container-optimized operating system designed for server deployments.

In addition to their portability and scalability advantages, containers are also beneficial to software development due to their ability to easily include all the components of an application into a single package, making deployment a much easier process. Containers can also provide greater security due to their process isolation, and image signing helps to ensure that only authorized containers can be used.

Overall, containers are becoming an increasingly popular choice for organizations and developers looking to streamline their development and deployment processes. With its ease of use, portability, scalability, and security benefits, containers offer organizations an agile and efficient way to run their applications.