Docker and the Linux container ecosystem

Table of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. Introduction: the evolution of Docker
  3. Container technology stack
  4. Key players of the Docker ecosystem
  5. Key takeaways
  6. About Janakiram MSV

1. Summary

Linux container technology is experiencing tremendous momentum in 2014. The ability to create multiple lightweight, self-contained execution environments on the same Linux host simplifies application deployment and management. By improving collaboration between developers and system administrators, container technology encourages a DevOps culture of continuous deployment and hyperscale, which is essential to meet current user demands for mobility, application availability, and performance.

Many developers interchange the terms “container” and “Docker,” sometimes making it difficult to distinguish between the two, but there is a very important distinction. Docker, Inc. is a key contributor to the container ecosystem in the development of orchestration tools and APIs. While container technology has existed for decades, the company’s open-source platform, Docker, makes that technology more accessible by creating simpler and more powerful tools. Using Docker, developers and system administrators can efficiently manage the lifecycle of tens of thousands of containers.

This report provides a detailed overview of the Linux container ecosystem. It explains the various components of container technology and analyzes the ecosystem contributions from companies to accelerate the adoption of Linux-based containers.

Thumbnail image courtesy of malerapaso/iStock.

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