Understanding Containers and Kubernetes

Containers Simplify Application Deployment

Containers provide a method for organizations to package, distribute, and deploy server applications and their dependencies (the libraries and other resources used by applications) across multiple servers in a reliable and reproducible way with faster deployment and less overhead than deploying on VMs. VMs virtualize a physical server; each VM requires its own operating system and environment (OSE). Containers, by contrast virtualize a single instance of the OSE using what is called process isolation, allowing multiple container-based applications and their dependencies to share an OSE without concerns of interference or conflicting dependencies.

By removing the need for a separate OSE per application and all the resources that entails, containers can be faster to launch and more resource-efficient than equivalent-function VMs. Stateless applications, such as a Web-based front end to a database application, are ideal candidates for container-based deployments.