Introduction: The Two Pillars of Cloud Computing, Virtual Machines and Containers
The methods for deploying and managing applications in cloud computing environments are constantly evolving. At the heart of this evolution lie two core technologies: Virtual Machines (VMs) and Containers. VMs represent the traditional approach to virtualization, while Containers offer a lighter and more efficient approach. Each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the optimal choice depends on specific requirements and situations. This post provides an in-depth analysis of the key differences between VMs and Containers, and offers clear guidance on which technology to choose in cloud environments through real-world use cases.
Core Concepts and Principles
Virtual Machines and Containers share the common goal of providing isolated environments for running applications. However, they differ significantly in terms of isolation methods, resource utilization, and performance.
Virtual Machine (VM)
VMs virtualize an entire operating system (OS) on top of physical hardware using a software called a Hypervisor. Each VM has its own independent OS kernel and operates in an environment completely isolated from other VMs. This strong isolation makes VMs highly secure and capable of supporting diverse OS environments. However, virtualizing an entire OS consumes significant resources and results in longer boot times.
Container
Containers isolate applications by sharing the OS kernel. Container runtime engines, such as Docker, are used to bundle applications with necessary libraries and configuration files into a single package called a container image. Running this image creates a container, which executes much faster and lighter than a VM because it shares the OS kernel. Containers offer excellent resource efficiency and fast deployment speeds, but they provide a lower level of isolation compared to VMs and may encounter OS compatibility issues.
Latest Trends and Changes
Container technology has been rapidly expanding in cloud computing environments. In particular, the advancement of container orchestration tools like Kubernetes (K8s) has made it easier to deploy, manage, and scale container-based applications. Furthermore, the scope of container utilization is expected to expand further in combination with new technology trends such as serverless computing. However, VMs continue to play an important role. VMs are still considered the optimal choice, especially in environments where security is critical or where legacy applications need to be run.
Practical Application Plans
VMs and Containers can each be applied in practice in a variety of ways.
- VM: Useful for migrating existing IT infrastructure to the cloud or building development environments that require diverse OS environments. They are also suitable for applications that require high stability and security, such as database servers.
- Container: Highly effective for developing and deploying applications based on Microservices Architecture (MSA). They can also be used to build CI/CD pipelines to automate the application development, testing, and deployment processes.
Expert Recommendations
💡 Technical Insight
Precautions When Introducing Technology: The decision of which technology to choose, VM or Container, should be determined by considering various factors such as application characteristics, security requirements, resource utilization efficiency, and management complexity. In particular, it is important to conduct sufficient testing to resolve OS compatibility issues and check for security vulnerabilities before introducing container technology.
Outlook for the Next 3-5 Years: Container technology is expected to evolve further and be utilized in various environments such as serverless computing and edge computing. In addition, hybrid cloud environments that use a mix of VMs and Containers are expected to become more common.
Conclusion
Virtual Machines and Containers are essential technologies for deploying and managing applications in cloud computing environments. VMs provide strong isolation and OS compatibility, while Containers offer excellent resource efficiency and fast deployment speeds. Therefore, it is important to select the appropriate technology considering the characteristics and requirements of the application. The future cloud environment is expected to evolve in a direction where VMs and Containers are used in a complementary manner.