Docker is an open source software platform to create, deploy and manage virtualized application containers on a common operating system (OS), with an ecosystem of allied tools. Docker container technology debuted in 2013; Docker Inc. was formed to support a commercial edition of container management software and be the principal sponsor of an open source version. Mirantis acquired the Docker Enterprise business in November 2019.
How Docker works
Docker packages, provisions and runs containers. Container technology is available through the operating system: A container packages the application service or function with all of the libraries, configuration files, dependencies and other necessary parts and parameters to operate. Each container shares the services of one underlying operating system. Docker images contain all the dependencies needed to execute code inside a container, so containers that move between Docker environments with the same OS work with no changes.
Docker uses resource isolation in the OS kernel to run multiple containers on the same OS. This is different than virtual machines (VMs), which encapsulate an entire OS with executable code on top of an abstracted layer of physical hardware resources.
Docker was created to work on the Linux platform, but has extended to offer greater support for non-Linux operating systems, including Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X. Versions of Docker for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are available.
This article is part of
What is container management and why is it important?
- Which also includes:
- Kubernetes basics: A step-by-step implementation tutorial
- Four container security vulnerabilities and how to avoid them
- Compare Mesos vs. Kubernetes for container federation
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