A version of this article was first published on HIPAA Vault’s
Kubernetes vs Docker – Containers Add Flexibility for Application Developers
When it comes to deploying new applications and services at scale, the ability to use efficient, containerized pieces of software has brought a greater degree of flexibility to the development process. The beauty of containers is that they enable developers to quickly and safely deploy their applications, with a more cost effective use of resources. Instead of having to spin up a whole new virtual machine for one application – an under utilization of the machine’s total resources – independent containers can now run isolated from their surroundings because they possess all the self-contained applications (code and system tools) to run them. In addition, both Kubernetes and Docker can be HIPAA Compliant with the right security measures.
Kubernetes on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Kubernetes is an open-source container system originally launched by Google, which provides a unique platform for “automating deployment and scaling operations of application containers across clusters of hosts.” The power of Kubernetes is its ability to automatically choreograph these stand-alone, containerized applications, as well as groups of resource-sharing containers, known as “pods,” from a single interface in various cloud deployments utilizing a system of Master and Worker nodes.
Docker for AWS
Docker Swarm is also a flexible container storage platform that provides system-level virtualization by isolating an application’s view from the operating environment. Leveraging their partnership with Amazon, Docker touts fast, reliable deployment of containers, as well as the ability to quickly scale applications. Services may be replicated to run on multiple nodes utilizing a “Swarm architecture” of managers and workers, and load balancers may be used for high availability.
Both Kubernetes and Docker provide powerful orchestration tools for building virtual containers at scale, and each have their merits. Both have the capability to support up to 1,000 node clusters and 30,000 containers, and both are continuing to evolve rapidly, with regular updates and improvements.
Kubernetes has the advantage of being open source, with years of Google development and ample online resources. It scales rapidly, supports several versions of logging and monitoring, and can also run on top of Docker as long as the command line interface specifications for both are known. As noted, Docker containers spin up relatively quickly and easily, but monitoring is only supported with third-party applications.
3 Factors to Consider
When developers are considering which tool will best aid their current, scalable environments, they tend to keep the following 3 factors in mind: performance, simplicity, and flexibility.
Performance has to do with the relative speed in which new containers can be brought online, as well as the responsiveness of the containers while running at scale. Simplicity and flexibility refer more to the complexity of the architecture (i.e., number of moving parts), and the ability to run on various platforms and across the breadth of infrastructure respectively.
In general, Kubernetes boasts a more open and extensible offering (now managed by the extensive Cloud Native Computing Foundation – CNCF), with Google focusing on providing extensive container support through their Google Cloud Platform. One potential downside with Kubernetes (often cited) is the level of complexity and mapping that can be involved when building custom environments, while Docker’s usability features will appeal to many.
Once the containers are running, however, Kubernetes excels in performance, boasting a 99% response to API calls within one second. Its vast community of collaborators also contributes greatly to ongoing innovations, a huge development resource which the single-vendor supported Docker currently lacks.
Kubernetes’ overall container capabilities are strong, thanks to years of R&D and an ongoing (and expanding) industry effort. As long as this steady stream of innovation continues, and with Google Cloud Platform remaining focused on support, Kubernetes can only get stronger.