Containerization

date

Jun 15, 2022

slug

containerization

status

Published

Definition

Containerization is a software packaging system that only uses the necessary operating system libraries and dependencies to run code and create a lightweight executable called a container, which is more resource-efficient and portable than virtualization systems.

Containers have become the de facto computing unit of modern cloud-native applications.

Containerization allows developers to create and deploy their applications faster and more securely. Containers are abstracted from the host operating system, so they stand alone, are portable, can run on any platform or cloud, and are free from errors.

The concept of containerization has been around for decades. Still, the emergence of the Open Source Docker Engine in 2013 and the industry's subsequent acceleration and development of this technology have made it more widespread.

More and more companies are using containerization to create new applications and modernise ones in the cloud.

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In a recent IBM survey, 61% of container adopters used 50% or more of the new applications they created in the previous two years. 64% of adopters expect 50% or more of their applications to be containerized in the next two years.

Containers are known for their "lightweight" nature, as their containers share a kernel within one operating system that does not require additional resources to connect the operating system in each application, unlike the concept of virtualization.

Containers are smaller than VMs, require less time to start, and allow more containers to run on the exact computation with one operating system.

Therefore, this can optimise resources and save server costs.

The most important thing about containerization is that it allows applications to be designed/written once and run anywhere.

This portability speeds up development, isolates errors, simplifies management, security, and more.

Advantages

Packaging applications can run faster and more efficiently than on a Virtual Machine without the need to fully boot up when starting the application and shut down again when closing it.

Containers use available resources efficiently, not needing to use their operating system.

Applications in containers are easier to scale because container virtualization is based on independent operating units. This allows applications to start quickly and flexibly when needed, and container resources can be added or reduced.

Containers can be easily moved to other environments because most are not dependent on the host operating system. Therefore, they can migrate to other hosts easily. Containers can make software development faster because one container can be developed quickly and easily duplicated. So the container set will give the same results as the container in production.

Disadvantages

All containers on the host machine must be designed to run on the same type of OS. Containers with different operating systems will require other hosts. Because one operating system is shared, security vulnerabilities in the operating system kernel become a threat to all containers on the host machine.

Containerization is still a new solution with various implementation plans, so some people still find applying or using it difficult.

Conclusion

Containerization is a very interesting and promising technology for building and modernizing applications. Its portability, start-up speed, and resource efficiency advantages allow developers to create and deploy their applications faster and more securely. Although there are some disadvantages to consider, containerization promises ease and speed in developing and distributing applications.