What Are Containers and Why Should I Use Them?

This first chapter will introduce you to the world of containers and their orchestration. This book starts from the very beginning, in that it assumes that you have limited prior knowledge of containers, and will give you a very practical introduction to the topic.

In this chapter, we will focus on the software supply chain and the friction within it. Then, we’ll present containers, which are used to reduce this friction and add enterprise-grade security on top of it. We’ll also look into how containers and the ecosystem around them are assembled. We’ll specifically point out the distinctions between the upstream Open Source Software (OSS) components, united under the code name Moby, that form the building blocks of the downstream products of Docker and other vendors.

The chapter covers the following topics:

• What are containers?
• Why are containers important?
• What’s the benefit of using containers for me or for my company?
• The Moby project
• Docker products
• Container architecture

After completing this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

• Explain what containers are, using an analogy such as physical containers, in a few simple sentences to an interested layperson
• Justify why containers are so important using an analogy such as physical containers versus traditional shipping, or apartment homes versus single-family homes, and so on, to an interested layperson
• Name at least four upstream open source components that are used by Docker products, such as Docker Desktop
• Draw a high-level sketch of the Docker container architecture

Let’s get started!