Thinking Inside the Box: Container Use Cases, Examples, and Applications

Container management has come a long way. For decades, managing containerized environments has been a relatively simple task. The modern idea of ​​computer containers originally appeared in the 1970s. This concept was first used to define application code in Unix systems.

Modern containerization technology has evolved steadily since its early days, and now companies are getting much more bang for their buck when they operate containers. From small startups to large enterprises, container frameworks have proven to be capable of creating reliable workflows through optimized runtimes and continuous delivery.

What is a container?

A container is an executable unit of software in which application code is packaged along with libraries and dependencies. It’s packaged in a standardized way so you can run your code anywhere – on your desktop, in traditional IT, or in the cloud.

This is accomplished through a form of operating system (OS) virtualization that leverages features of the OS kernel (such as Linux namespaces and cgroups, Windows silos and task objects) to isolate processes and control the amount of CPU, memory, and disk. . You can access that process.

Containers and Docker

Container technology fundamentally changed with the introduction of Docker in 2013 and has continued to gain unabated popularity and user acceptance over the past decade. Clearly, there was a strong but unmet market demand for this type of containerization software. Docker’s rapid success and current overwhelming market leadership are proof of this.

According to a 2021 IBM survey, 61% of respondents said they used containers in more than 50% of new applications built in the past two years. An even larger group of respondents (64%) reported that they expect to use containers in at least 50% of the apps they build over the next two years.

Containers are about distributing and protecting data and running apps. It is no surprise, then, that the IT industry is a major user of containerized software, with the following industries ranked as the top three beneficiaries (link resides outside ibm.com):

1. machine learning
2. software development
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Docker and Kubernetes

The containerized application market is currently dominated by two players.

docker

The most commonly used containerization platform is Docker. Docker containers were originally built on the Docker Engine in 2013 and run on an application programming interface (API). Docker is actually a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and its main advantage is flexibility. Docker takes all your applications and their dependencies, converts them into virtual containers, and can then run them on any computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux. The system uses Docker images, which are read-only templates used to build containers, and Dockerfiles, which are text files that accompany and describe the Docker image. Docker images and other container images require space to run. This is managed by the container runtime, a software solution that interacts with the OS to create the space needed to run container images.

Kubernetes

The most widely used container orchestration platform is Kubernetes, created by Google in 2014 and still popular for its powerful way of automating software deployment, enabling scalability, and supporting container management. Additionally, Kubernetes is an open source system and encourages enthusiastic participation from contributors (those who currently oversee the project), with each software provider putting their own spin on Kubernetes. For example, some services allow users to not only create Kubernetes clusters, but also deploy scalable web apps and analyze logs.

Currently, Docker and Kubernetes are the most popular tools for working with computer containers. Dockers currently holds 82.8% of this market, while Kubernetes holds 11.52% market share, according to the latest 2024 Containerization Forecast (link resides outside ibm.com).

To learn more about the relationship between Kubernetes and Docker, read “Kubernetes vs. Docker: Why not both?”

Container use cases

There is no shortage of relevant use cases involving containers, especially as they become more and more prominent in cloud computing environments or ecosystems. Many organizations are considering containers as an alternative to virtual machines (VMs) as the general-purpose cloud computing platform of choice for their applications and workloads. However, within a very broad scope, there are key use cases where cloud-native containers are particularly relevant.

• Microservices: Containers are small, lightweight, and highly portable, making them an ideal choice for microservices architectures, where containerized applications consist of many small, loosely coupled, independently deployable services. A hypervisor is used to oversee microservice operations when a computer uses more than one virtual machine.
• DevOps: The combination of microservices as an architecture and containers as a platform is a powerful combination and common ground for many teams embracing DevOps and development environments as the way they choose to handle software development.
• Hybrid multicloud: The ability to run containers consistently anywhere—on laptops, on-premises, and in cloud environments—is the ideal foundational infrastructure and architecture for any hybrid cloud, hybrid cloud, and multicloud scenario your organization finds itself in, as well as cloud providers. It operates on a mix of public and private clouds combined with on-premises data centers.
• Serverless: Serverless allows cloud-native developers creating apps to not have to think about server requirements and constraints that remain in the background. The biggest advantage of a serverless approach is that it promotes the mental focus developers need while building apps without overwhelming them with tons of details.

Related Use Cases and Solutions

Containers, containerization, or container orchestration also impact related solutions such as:

• Application modernization and migration: One of the most common approaches to application modernization is to first optimize and containerize applications in preparation for their eventual migration to a cloud architecture. This process must be done before generating the application code, which is the source code that contains all instructions for this application.
• Separate container: Separate containers are widely used because they greatly benefit microservice users. As the name suggests, separate containers are primarily used to organize microservices more effectively by allowing users to keep various aspects of a “crowded” container within multiple partitioned containers. Separate containers are considered to increase operational efficiency by making necessary updates quick and easy.
• Multi-tenancy: Multi-tenancy is a self-architectural system organized around user systems. tenant) are all running a single application within a shared environment. Although some customization options are available in multi-tenancy systems, these options are intentionally limited to keep the system simple and easy to operate. Containers are ideal for managing multi-tenant deployments because they allow you to run multiple apps on a single host.

container type

There are two basic types of containers, each offering a different group of container technologies.

system container

System containers, also known as “operating system containers,” allow various processes to run simultaneously. System containers are ideal for managing existing apps and handling monolithic applications designed to perform a single function expressed through a single logical executable. These containers also have the ability to host the architecture, configuration, and tools required to run a VM. By default, system containers prohibit tiered file systems.

Container technologies available: BSD Jail, Linux VServer, LXC, OpenVZ, Solaris Zones

application container

Application containers are not as versatile as system containers, which can run multiple processes simultaneously. Application containers get their name because they are intended to serve a single application by performing only one executable task. Application containers exist to package and operate a single service and do not support tiered file systems.

Container technologies available: docker, rocket

IBM and containers

Containerization requires some extra effort and equipment, but it also has its benefits. Container orchestration tools can facilitate an easier container experience for production environments, no matter where your product is in its lifecycle.

Built on open source technologies like Kubernetes, IBM’s container services help you facilitate and accelerate your journey to the cloud in a fast, secure and productive way.

Explore containers on IBM Cloud Learn more about Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud Explore IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service