Docker fundamentals

Contents

• About Docker
• Introduction
• Benefits
• Docker vs Virtual Machines

About Docker

Introduction

“Build once, run anywhere”

Docker is “a platform for developers and sysadmins to develop, ship, and run applications”, based on containers.

Docker simplifies and standardizes the creation and management of containers

Benefits

• A clean, safe, hygienic and portable runtime environment for your app. Build once, run anywhere
• No worries about missing dependencies, packages and other pain points during subsequent deployments.
• Run each app in its own isolated container, so you can run various versions of libraries and other dependencies for each app without worrying.
• Reduce/eliminate concerns about compatibility on different platforms

Docker vs Virtual Machines

“Virtual Machine”

A VM is essentially an emulation of a real computer that executes programs like a real computer. VMs run on top of a physical machine using a “hypervisor”. A hypervisor, in turn, runs on either a host machine or on “bare-metal”.

“Docker”

Unlike a VM which provides hardware virtualization, a container provides operating-system-level virtualization by abstracting the “user space”.