What is containerization, and why are so many organizations adopting it?
As a business grows, its IT infrastructure grows with it. But this can pose new challenges, especially when it comes to making changes, adding new features, or scaling functions.
The good news is, containerization is able to solve some of the challenges associated with growth. Specifically, containerization helps to fix application management issues in the production environment. Here is how it works…
While conventional cloud infrastructure requires that all applications and their related files be stored in one virtual machine, containerization partitions applications, storing them in separate “containers.” These containers can then be distributed on various physical or virtual machines without using each application’s whole operating system.
According to Gartner’s prediction, in 2023, a whopping 70% of companies will be running at least three containerized applications. But maybe you’re wondering, “Is containerization ideal for my organization?” Here are a few benefits of containerization to consider when making important growth decisions for your applications:
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Benefits of Containerization Kubernetes
While containers are a great way to run and bundle applications, it’s important to manage them as they run applications to guarantee constant uptime. In other words, if one container goes down, a different one should start.
Kubernetes provides the system that handles this behavior. A kubernetes project refers to a portable, open-source, and extensive platform that manages containerized services and workloads to enhance automation and declarative configuration. In this way, Kubernetes manages the application’s scaling and failover and provides deployment patterns, among other roles.
Here are a few advantages of working with Kubernetes:
Load balancing and service discovery
Kubernetes can detect a container using an IP address or the DNS name. If a container’s traffic is high, Kubernetes can load the balance by distributing the network traffic for stable deployment processes. This enhances optimal performance among all applications.
Automated rollbacks and rollouts
Kubernetes lets you decide how deployed containers should be. For instance, developers may decide to automate Kubernetes to form new containers, remove existing containers, and channel resources to the newly formed containers.
Configuration and secret management
Kubernetes services allow a company to manage and store sensitive information like passwords, SSH keys, and OAuth tokens. Kubernetes also makes it possible to update and deploy secrets and app configuration, even without rebuilding the container images or exposing secrets in the stack configuration.
In this way, Kubernetes adds an extra security layer to an organization’s IT system.
Storage orchestration
Kubernetes enables the automatic installation of desired storage systems, including public cloud providers, local storage, and more. More storage means better organization, fast retrieval of data, and easy data access.
Benefits of Containerization Docker
Finally, there’s Docker, which makes applications run swiftly between container environments managed by Kubernetes.
Docker is an open-source technology that helps to develop, ship, and run applications. You can use it to isolate apps from their cloud infrastructures for quicker software delivery.
On the other hand, docker containers are software units that store code and its dependencies to ensure apps run reliably and faster from one environment to the next. Docker images are lightweight, separate, executable software packages that include everything needed to run applications, such as code, system tools, settings, runtime, and system libraries.
Here are the main benefits of docker containers:
Keeps applications isolated
Docker containers allow organizations to keep applications isolated from their underlying system and from each other. This makes it possible to decide how the allocated containerized unit should use its system resources, such as GPU, CPU, and network.
Fast deploy
Docker containers often reduce deployment time to seconds, which is impressive, considering that conventional processes for provisioning and setting up software could take days. However, when each process is in a container, new apps can pick it up, making deployment swift and saving costs too.
Flexibility
Docker enhances flexibility. To carry out an upgrade when releasing a product, simply make the desired changes to the available Docker containers, perform tests, and roll out brand new containers.
Docker also allows building, testing, and even releasing desired images that may be deployed on several servers. Even if there’s a new security patch, the process doesn’t change; just apply and test the patch before releasing it to production.
What’s more, Docker allows for the automatic starting and stopping of apps or services that’s essential in a cloud environment.
Automation and repeatability
If you’re building code whose configuration and infrastructure are repeatable, Docker can speed up the development process. Since Docker images are usually small, the result is quick delivery and shorter deployment times when it comes to creating new app containers.
If you’re looking for help making your company’s development teams more productive through the use of containerization, Kubernetes, and Docker, you’re in the right place. Contact Simpat Tech today for help adopting containerization and improving efficiency at your organization.
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