{"id":5229,"date":"2015-02-25T07:00:54","date_gmt":"2015-02-25T15:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/?p=5229"},"modified":"2015-01-21T10:38:25","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T18:38:25","slug":"containers-build-once-run-anywhere-technology-a-boon-for-application-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/containers-build-once-run-anywhere-technology-a-boon-for-application-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Containers: “Build Once, Run Anywhere” Technology a Boon for Application Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

Containers are next-generation technology for packaging, deploying and running applications. \u00a0While not a direct substitute for virtual machines, they provide a better solution for the use case of creating an environment where an isolated application run. \u00a0Containers package applications in a much more granular way \u00a0than what’s possible with standard virtual machine technology, and they do it with just a fraction of the computing power needed by full virtual machines. \u00a0Containers also have the idea of “build once, run anywhere<\/a>“, similar to Sun’s slogan for Java<\/a> nearly two decades ago, but this time applied to applications rather than code.<\/p>\n

The founder of Docker, Solomon Hykes<\/a>, uses the analogy of shipping containers to explain how Docker works and why he named it ‘Docker’. \u00a0Hykes said that<\/a> “this is about the mass commoditization of the production of software. \u00a0Docker can have the same impact on software that shipping containers had on world trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are the benefits of Docker containers compared to using traditional VM technology? \u00a0In a recent O’Reilly column, Andrew T. Baker<\/a> summarized the benefits of using containers:<\/p>\n