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Asmi Jafar
Asmi Jafar

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Ops Docker it is! #1

This the very first Blog of this series.

Let's start with some definitions and concepts.

Docker is a platform that uses OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called Containers.

What is a Container?

A container is a way to package an application with all the necessary dependencies and configurations or you can say layers of images packaged together.

Advantages:

  • Portable Artifact

  • Easily shared

  • Easily moved around the development team and the development-operations team.

  • And due to the portability of containers and everything packaged in one isolating environment makes the Development and Deployment more efficient.

  • No environmental configuration is needed on the server except the docker runtime.

Now here comes the question, Where do these containers live?
So, Containers live in a container repository, private or public repository.

If we don't have containers then there could be a version conflict or misunderstandings between the development team and operations team.

What is the difference between a Docker image and a Docker container?

So, Image is the actual package with all the dependencies and configurations, an artifact that can be moved around whereas when we pull the image and start it and applications start that creates the container environment. So containers are the running image only.

What is the difference between Docker and Virtual Machines?

As we know, Docker and VM are both virtualization tools. Docker virtualizes the Application layer in the OS (operating system) and it uses the kernel of the host whereas the virtual machines virtualize the whole OS, it has an application layer and its own kernel.

  1. The size of the docker images are smaller than VM.

  2. Docker containers start and run fast.

  3. Compatibility: Virtual Machines are more compatible. They can run on any OS host of the Operating System.

Next blog of this series: Building of docker image for Flask Application.

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