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Docker Containers

Portable, efficient and incredibly flexible

Container technology is considered one of the major milestones of cloud evolution. The technology captured the industry’s attention with the introduction of the Docker container platform in 2013 and has since taken the IT world by storm. Companies are adopting containerised applications with breath-taking speed.

application container

What is an application container?

Put simply, a container is a package that consists of an application plus any libraries, utilities and configuration files (the dependencies) that it needs to run. This is a much more efficient, flexible and error-proof solution than sharing dependencies among apps or creating a virtual machine with its own OS for each application. Multiple containers can share the same OS and network connection and simply and consistently be deployed across multiple computing environments.

The main benefits of containerisation

Platform independent

Portability, agility and innovation speed

Docker containers ensure that your software runs consistently across environments, as long as a support operating system is installed. On your laptop, in a variety of cloud environments, or on bare metal. Containers can also be copied to development, test, integration and live environments quickly and reliably. This makes developing, testing and deploying applications easier and faster than ever before. Containers enable organisations to innovate quickly, while also avoiding cloud vendor lock-in.

Lightweight

Reduce resource costs

Containers are lightweight by design, enabling you to run many more applications on the same hardware resources than with any other technology. This way, you can save on hardware and datacentre costs. With smart scaling – only running the containers that you need in real time – you can reduce your resource costs even more.

Features

Docker containers offer many other features and benefits, like version control and effective isolation. Read more about Docker on the official Docker website.

Adoption

Enterprises, SME's and software-companies are adopting container technology with breathtaking speed. Have a look at our Docker infographic to find out why organisations and developers adopt containers.

microservices

Microservices and Containers

A perfect fit

Docker’s advantages shine even brighter when used in combination with microservices. Unlike a monolithic application architecture, a microservices architecture structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services that communicate through simple APIs. The services can be developed, tested, deployed, and versioned independently. This way, different teams can work on different parts of an application.

A microservices architecture speeds up the development and release process and offers great opportunities for improving innovation speed and customer experience. Organisations and developers can act quickly, for example when it comes to fixing bugs or adding new features. Although containers and microservices are not the same thing, they go hand in hand. Containers are a good way to develop and deploy microservices, and the tools and platforms for running containers are great for managing microservice-based applications.

certfied kubernetes service partner

Kumina favorite Containers

Kumina has been specialising in Linux and open source software since 2007. When container technology took off in 2014, we adopted it in its early days. It was both exhilarating and challenging: easy to get started, but harder to get it right. Getting fully acquainted with software like Docker and Kubernetes, and addressing challenges like monitoring and security, took time and effort. Still, it is worth it. When implemented and managed correctly, container technology offers significant benefits. Especially in combination with Kubernetes, market leader in container management, the advantages and possibilities are impressive.

As open source aficionados and Kubernetes certified service partner, we make it our mission to share our knowledge and experience. In the last few years, we have helped many organisations adopt container technology. Through our fully managed Kubernetes solutions, consulting and Kubernetes training, our clients can enjoy the full potential of Kubernetes and reap the benefits of containerisation.

certfied kubernetes service partner

Blog posts and resources

Migrating volumes to CSI in well-established Kubernetes clusters
12-12-2022
Disclaimer: while CSI is a vendor-agnostic interface, this article will mainly focus on AWS and GCP implementations specifically, since these are the platforms on which we’ve had to conduct migration to CSI. Introduction For volume management, Kubernetes originally shipped with in-tree drivers for various cloud providers, interfacing with the underlying platform on which the cluster […]
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The benefits and business value of Kubernetes
10-04-2018
Enterprises, SME's as well as start-ups are adopting container technology and Kubernetes with breathtaking speed. But what is Kubernetes? How does it relate to containers? What does it actually do? What are its main features? And how can organisations benefit from adopting containers and deploying Kubernetes? We answer all these questions, and more, in this blog post.
Kumina Certified Kubernetes Partner
As of today Kumina is a Certified Kubernetes Service Provider!
26-03-2018
We are proud to announce that as of today we are a Certified Kubernetes Service Provider! The KCSP program is a pre-qualified tier of vetted service providers who have deep experience helping enterprises successfully adopt Kubernetes. We are really looking forward to spreading our Kubernetes knowledge and IT operations experience to enterprises around the globe. With our fully managed Kubernetes solutions including ongoing maintenance and unlimited support, we aim to help companies succeed with Kubernetes without having to become specialists themselves.