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Virtual container technology options for management, security
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Docker eases the migration of containerized apps
Docker added features and integrations to help enterprise IT move containerized workloads and apps among public and private cloud providers. Read Now
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Make the choice for cloud deployments: Containers vs. VMs
Understand the critical differences in how containers and VMs work in public, private and hybrid cloud environments before jumping on either technology. Read Now
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Docker users continue the bare metal vs. VMs debate
Although Docker's representatives call both choices viable, IT pros stand divided about whether to deploy containers on bare metal or in virtual machines. Read Now
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Container services from the big public cloud players
Amazon, Google and Microsoft all provide competing cloud container services. Here's how they compare to each other. Read Now
Editor's note
Containers are not just for development and testing. Companies such as Docker, Amazon, Google and Microsoft offer some compelling and full-featured virtual container products aimed specifically at enterprise IT production environments. But are these offerings a sign that containers are ready for enterprise deployments, or are businesses not ready to make the necessary changes to switch to containers?
Use this guide to learn about the current virtual container choices and technologies, proper tools for management, and the level of security achievable for different container options. Not sure what some of the lingo means? Head down to the glossary section to brush up on key container terms.
1The latest on managing containers
Managing virtual containers requires automation and orchestration, especially as we look to make applications scalable. Google, Amazon and Docker offer tools and are tying management features together. Meanwhile, Microsoft shops are getting creative as they wait for Azure containers.
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Docker matures with bug fixes
Docker's incremental releases and bug fixes signal a container management roadmap that drives right into the heart of live production. Read Now
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Docker Datacenter unites company’s management suite
Docker's Datacenter tool brings together its management portfolio, helping IT ops teams deploy containers in production. Read Now
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Container management strategy involves tools, refinement
Tools like Docker Swarm and Google Kubernetes only help so much. Organizations must consistently hone their processes and track container use for a stable, scalable deployment. Read Now
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Will container management replace configuration management?
Configuration management tools such as Chef and Puppet are jumping on the container bandwagon as some industry observers see configuration management as redundant. Read Now
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Promise of Windows containers has Microsoft shops waiting
While Azure container support is available, IT pros that rely on the company's software are waiting for Windows Server 2016 to run containers on self-managed cloud and internal infrastructure. Read Now
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IT automation essential for container management
Traditional IT ops practices don't work with the intricate systems of containers and microservices. Read Now
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Docker users share advice, criticism
Users give their honest opinions -- in 140 characters -- about Docker container strategies. Read Now
2Pertinent container terms
Choosing a virtual container option and management tools is great, but it's hard if you don't know the right terms.
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Definition
containers as a service
Containers as a service (CaaS) is a cloud service that allows software developers to upload, organize, run, scale, manage and stop containers by using a provider's API calls or a web portal interface. Read Now
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Open Container Initiative
The Open Container Initiative, formerly known as the Open Container Project, is a Linux Foundation project designed to establish common open standards for container platforms. Read Now
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Google Container Engine
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is a management and orchestration system for Docker containers and container clusters that run within Google's public cloud services. Read Now
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Amazon Elastic Container Registry (Amazon ECR)
Amazon Elastic Container Registry (Amazon ECR) is an AWS product that stores, manages and deploys Docker images, which are managed clusters of Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances. Read Now
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VMware vSphere Integrated Containers
VMware vSphere Integrated Containers allow an administrator to deploy and manage containers alongside their traditional VMs in vSphere. Read Now
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Linux container hypervisor
LXD is an open source container management extension for Linux Containers (LXC). Read Now
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Docker Swarm
Docker Swarm is a clustering and scheduling tool for Docker containers. Orchestration frees containers from a single host for failover, load balancing and other benefits. Read Now
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Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS)
Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) is a cloud computing service in Amazon Web Services (AWS) that manages containers and allows developers to run applications in the cloud without having to configure an environment for the code to run in. Read Now
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Definition
container-based virtualization
Containers are packages that rely on virtual isolation to deploy and run applications that access a shared operating system (OS) kernel without the need for virtual machines (VMs). Read Now
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VMware Photon Platform
VMware Photon Platform is a container runtime and set of management and security tools to deploy and manage a large-scale container deployment. Read Now
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Docker Content Trust
Docker Content Trust is a feature in the Docker containerization platform that enables remote registry content to be digitally signed, ensuring that the content is unaltered and is the most current available version when users access it. Read Now
3Are they or are they not secure?
Container security levels vary, depending on the type of virtual container and how the IT team implements containerization. Some experts say that Docker is less secure than CoreOS, while others tout its security options.
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Is container technology the new Java?
Containers promise ease of use and rapid app deployment anywhere, but a lack of management tools and a raft of security problems mean that IT admins should tread carefully. Read Now
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Security risks increase due to container flexibility
Flexibility is containerization's greatest strength over server virtualization, but it can leave IT workloads more open to attacks without proper management of daemon control access. Read Now
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CoreOS looks to prioritize security to containers
CoreOS claims its first production release of its container runtime rkt was built around security, making it better than the competition for large-scale deployments. Read Now
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How to enhance Docker security
IT shops should use tools like Docker Content Trust to make containers secure. But does executing multiple instances of containers produce too big of a security hole? Read Now
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Multiple ways to protect AWS, Docker containers
Managing security keys and auditing libraries are just a few ways to secure Amazon EC2 Container Service and Docker containers. Read Now
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Linux container security benefits over VMs
Linux containers overcome hypervisors' main design flaw, and their rapid evolution promises greater security, with Intel's Clear Containers and Docker's Content Trust. Read Now