Dictionary · Certification Terminology
Container
Cloud and virtualization · Intermediate
A packaged application process that shares the host operating system's kernel but has its own files, libraries, and limits. It is lighter than a full virtual machine.
It starts quickly because it does not boot a second operating system. The tradeoff is that these workloads on one host share that host's kernel, so host security still matters.
Example: A web application and its libraries ship as an image and run the same way on a laptop and on a server.
Common misconception
- Sharing a kernel is not the same isolation as a virtual machine. A container escape can affect the host.