How Docker containers are different from system processes?

https://kjanshair.github.io/2017/07/04/Docker-Containers-vs-System-Processes/

by thamizhan2611 • 8 years ago

4 3 8 years ago

kjanshair.github.io

salawat• 8 years ago

I applaud the elaboration of containers as isolated processes, however, I abhor the anthropromorphization of the Kernel/CPU in this article as it tends to distract from what the machine is actually doing, and makes a value judgement with regards to how container technology does it's thing relative to how things just work.

Computers compute. The computer doesn't care whether a process is happening in a container or just as a system process. The CPU still has to context switch, it still has to flush and reinitialize memory, and it still incurs all of the same complexity that comes from being a multi-user OS when using containers vs. not using containers. If nothing else, there is actually MORE computation required with containers due to not being able to use more streamlined IPC mechanisms between containerized processes which would be usable in a non-containerized implementation.

Containers fulfill a HUMAN use case. "I want to scale a bunch of copies of software environment blah on hardware Y." The computer continues to do what it is told without a care in the world.

thamizhan2611• 8 years ago

I completely agree with you on this. This is a nice article which helps you picturize what a docker container is when your mind has already wrapped around what a system process is.

daixtr• 8 years ago

i agree with author and his article. The cgrougs is in effect now instead of the 'nice' value. Docker changes the game coz containers can run in pods or swarms across machines.

How Docker containers are different from system processes?

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