What are Containers and why you should care.

A container is a lightweight, standalone, and executable package of software that includes everything needed to run an application, including the code, libraries, dependencies, and runtime.

Containers are a key component of modern cloud computing and are used to package and deploy applications in the cloud. They offer several benefits compared to traditional virtual machines, including improved portability, resource efficiency, and scalability.

One of the main benefits of containers is their portability. Because containers include everything needed to run an application, they can be easily moved between different environments, such as from a developer's laptop to a test environment, and then to a production environment. This makes it easy to deploy and manage applications in the cloud.

Another key benefit of containers is their resource efficiency. Because containers are lightweight and share the host operating system, they can be run on a single host machine and use its resources more efficiently than traditional virtual machines. This means that you can run more containers on a single host, which can save costs and improve performance.

A common use case for containers in cloud computing is in building and deploying microservices-based applications. Microservices are a popular architectural pattern for building applications that are made up of small, independent services that communicate with each other. Containers make it easy to deploy and manage these services in the cloud.

Overall, containers are an important part of modern cloud computing. They offer portability, resource efficiency, and scalability, making them a valuable tool for deploying and managing applications in the cloud.