Docker is a platform that makes it simpler to build, deploy, and execute programs utilizing containers. Containers enable a developer to bundle a program with all of its required components, including as libraries and other dependencies, and ship it all as a single package. This ensures that the program will operate on any other system, independent of any specific settings that may differ from the one used to write and test the code.

In a way, Docker is a bit like a virtual machine. However, unlike a virtual machine, rather than creating a whole virtual operating system, Docker allows applications to use the same Linux kernel as the system that they’re running on and only requires applications be shipped with things not already running on the host computer. This gives a significant performance boost and reduces the size of the application. (more…)