Linux containers are emerging as a powerful tool for application deployment, packaging, and distribution. They offer numerous benefits over traditional virtualisation techniques, such as improved resource utilisation, faster provisioning, and greater scalability. Containerisation also enables developers to create self-contained software packages that can be easily deployed in any environment, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.
Linux containers, a form of operating system-level virtualisation technology, allow multiple isolated user-space instances, known as containers, run on a single host operating system. They provide an isolated environment for running applications, enabling developers to package applications and associated dependencies into a portable and lightweight format that can be deployed across different environments. Linux containers use a combination of kernel-level features, like name spaces and cgroups, to isolate the container from the host operating system and other containers running on the same host. This allows containers to run on any Linux-compatible host, regardless of the underlying hardware or operating system.
What are Linux containers?
Linux containers are virtualisation methods enabling multiple isolated applications to run on a single host OS, sharing the same kernel and resources. Each container has its own file system, network stack, and process space, allowing for efficient resource utilisation and isolation from other containers and the host system. Managed by platforms like Docker and Kubernetes, containers simplify and scale deployment, management, and updating of applications across different environments.
Why Linux containers?
Linux containers allow developers to create and run multiple applications in a single OS instance. They are lightweight, portable and offer a more efficient way to deploy and manage applications than traditional virtual machines.
Here are some reasons why Linux containers are gaining popularity.
Resource efficiency: Containers share the operating system kernel, which means they use fewer system resources than virtual machines. This makes them ideal for running multiple applications on a single server or instance.
Portability: They are portable and can be easily moved from one system to another. This makes it easy to deploy applications across different environments, such as development, testing, and production.
Consistency: Containers ensure that applications run consistently across different systems. This is especially important in complex multi-cloud environments where applications need to run on different platforms and operating systems.
Security: They provide robust isolation between applications, which reduces the risk of security threats. With the right security measures in place, containers can be more secure than traditional virtual machines.
Speed: Containers provide fast application deployment and are quick to start up or shut down. This means that developers can test and deploy new features faster, improving their agility and time to market.
Understanding containers
Containerisation technology has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, with Docker being at the forefront of the movement. It allows developers to create, run, and manage applications in containers that are independent of the underlying infrastructure. This makes the process of deploying applications across multiple environments, such as development, testing, and production, a lot easier.
Containers are isolated from each other, ensuring that applications running inside them do not interfere with one another. Furthermore, they provide an additional layer of security that can prevent the spread of vulnerabilities and attacks across applications.
Each container runs in its own name space, meaning that even if one container is compromised, the threat is limited to only that container and cannot affect other applications on the same machine.
Containers are also highly scalable, as they can be easily replicated and deployed across multiple machines. This makes them ideal for microservices architecture, where applications are broken down into smaller, more manageable components that can be scaled up or down as needed.
| Types of containers |
There are several types of Linux containers, including:
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Popular containerisation platforms
Containerisation platforms provide users with an efficient, scalable, secure, and cost-effective solution for their application deployment needs. There are several popular containerisation platforms in the market that offer a range of features and functionalities. Here, we discuss three of the most widely used ones.
Docker: Docker is the most widely used containerisation platform that provides a complete solution for container creation, deployment, and management. It is an open source platform that can run on any operating system, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. Docker allows developers to create containerised applications and deploy them on any infrastructure, including cloud, on-premise, and hybrid environments. The platform also offers a wide range of tools and features, such as Docker Swarm for orchestration, Docker Compose for multi-container applications, and Docker Hub for the distribution of containerised applications.
Kubernetes: Kubernetes is an open source containerisation platform for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerised applications. It is designed to work with multiple containerisation platforms, such as Docker, and supports a range of containerisation tools and platforms. Kubernetes provides container orchestration, automatic scaling, and self-healing mechanisms for containerised applications, making it a popular choice for enterprises. The platform also offers a range of features, such as load balancing, fault tolerance, and automatic deployment rollbacks.
OpenShift: OpenShift is a container application platform built on top of Kubernetes and Docker. It is a container management platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerised applications. OpenShift offers developers a complete solution for building, testing, and deploying containerised applications on any infrastructure. The platform provides support for multiple languages, frameworks, and databases, and it also offers scalability and high availability for enterprise-class applications. OpenShift provides an integrated environment for developers to manage the whole application life cycle, from code to deployment.
The traditional virtual machine approach
The traditional virtual machine approach involves the creation of a virtualised environment designed to mimic the capabilities of a physical computer. This approach is widely used in enterprise environments to consolidate physical infrastructure and improve efficiency. It involves the following steps.
Hypervisor installation: A hypervisor is a layer of software that runs directly on the host computer that creates and manages virtual machines. It allocates resources from the physical hardware, such as CPU, memory, and storage, to each virtual machine.
Virtual machine creation: Once the hypervisor is installed, virtual machines can be created based on specific requirements including operating system, memory, and storage.
Operating system installation: Once the virtual machine is created, it must be configured, and an operating system must be installed in it. This involves setting up user accounts, network configurations, and other system settings.
Application installation: After the operating system has been installed, applications can be installed as per the requirements. As these consume system resources, it is important to allocate adequate resources to the virtual machines.
Maintenance: Virtual machines require regular maintenance, including security updates, software patches, and performance tuning. This can be carried out using tools such as configuration management tools, monitoring tools etc.
In the traditional virtual machine approach, each virtual machine runs separately and does not share resources with other virtual machines. This approach has its benefits, such as better isolation between applications, but it has some disadvantages too, such as less efficient use of physical resources.
Differences between virtual machines and containers
Virtual machines and containers are two different technologies used to create isolated environments in computing, but with distinct differences.
Architecture: Virtual machines run on a hypervisor layer that sits on top of the host operating system. Each virtual machine runs its own guest operating system, which is completely isolated from the host system. Containers, on the other hand, use a shared kernel architecture, where multiple virtualised environments share the same operating system kernel as the host operating system.
Resource consumption: Virtual machines require more resources than containers. Each virtual machine requires its own operating system, which means that it requires more CPU, memory, and disk space. Containers, on the other hand, have a small overhead compared to virtual machines. The shared kernel architecture of containers takes up less memory and CPU, which means that more containers can be deployed on a single host than virtual machines.
Speed and performance: Virtual machines provide an isolated environment, which means that they are slower to start up than containers. They also have more overhead in communication between the guest and host operating systems, which can affect their performance. Containers, on the other hand, can start up quickly and have almost no overhead in communication between the container and the host operating system, which makes them faster and more performant.
Security: Virtual machines are more secure than containers because they provide a complete sandboxed environment, which means that they are completely isolated from the host system. Containers, on the other hand, run on the host operating system, which means that they have a smaller attack surface and are more vulnerable to attacks.
Application compatibility: Virtual machines are more versatile than containers because they can run any operating system. Containers, on the other hand, require the same kernel as the host operating system, which means that they are limited in the types of applications that they can run.
In conclusion, virtual machines are better suited for running different types of operating systems, whereas containers are better suited for running lightweight and scalable applications. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and choosing one over the other will depend on the specific use case.
Why are Linux containers gaining popularity over virtual machines?
Linux containers are becoming increasingly popular in enterprise computing due to their efficiency and portability. There are other reasons too.
Resource efficiency: Linux containers share the same kernel as the host operating system, meaning they require fewer resources to run than virtual machines. This makes them ideal for environments where resources are limited.
Faster startup times: Containers have faster startup times than virtual machines, making them ideal for applications that require quick scaling and deployment.
Portability: They can run on any system that supports the container runtime, making them highly portable across different architectures and operating systems.
Better utilisation of hardware: Containers distribute computing power more efficiently than virtual machines, as they do not require the same level of isolation as virtual machines; hence, more containers can be run on a single physical machine.
Increased agility: Containers are much easier to create and deploy than virtual machines, allowing developers to test and deploy code more quickly and efficiently.
Overall, Linux containers offer many advantages over virtual machines. As a result, they are becoming the norm in enterprise computing environments.
Use cases of Linux containers
Linux containers find applications in various scenarios.
Application isolation: Containers isolate applications from the underlying infrastructure, simplifying deployment, management, and scalability.
Resource management: Containers enable effective management of system resources, such as CPU, memory, and network bandwidth, which can be limited or managed based on diverse application needs.
DevOps and continuous delivery: Essential in DevOps and continuous delivery workflows, containers empower developers to quickly create and deploy new features and updates with minimal downtime.
Cloud computing: Popular in cloud computing environments, containers enable rapid deployment of applications on a variety of platforms.
Microservices architecture: They are ideal for building microservices architectures, where applications are segmented into small, independent components for independent development, testing, and deployment.
Big Data: Containers are used to deploy and manage Big Data applications, such as Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, and other distributed computing frameworks.
Testing and quality assurance: They provide a consistent environment for testing and quality assurance, ensuring applications perform as expected across different platforms and operating systems.
Hybrid cloud and multi-cloud: Containers can be used to deploy applications across hybrid or multi-cloud environments, enabling organisations to build and manage complex applications that span multiple cloud providers.
Future of Linux containers
Several trends are shaping the future of Linux containers.
Kubernetes dominance: Kubernetes is becoming the de facto container orchestration platform. It has emerged as the most popular platform, allowing organisations to deploy, manage, and scale containerised applications.
Focus on security and compliance: As containerisation becomes more mainstream, there is a growing focus on ensuring security and compliance of container images, applications, and infrastructures.
More hybrid and multi-cloud deployments: Organisations are leveraging Linux containers to build hybrid and multi-cloud deployments that allow them to run applications across multiple cloud environments and on-premise infrastructures.
Increased use of serverless computing: The rise of serverless computing has heightened the demand for lightweight, scalable, and portable containers that can be quickly deployed and disposed of.
Continuous innovation in container technology: The Linux container ecosystem is continuously evolving, with ongoing innovation in areas such as container storage, security, networking, and management.
Overall, the future of Linux containers looks very promising, with the technology expected to play a central role in the ongoing digital transformation of organisations across a wide range of industries.
As container technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative use cases and advanced features in the near future. Organisations that leverage Linux containers today can gain a competitive advantage by accelerating application delivery, minimising resource consumption, and reducing operational overhead.
