Windows Server 2016 will contain support for Containers.

Containers are a method of software virtualization, similar Virtual Machines (VMs). As with Virtual Machines, you can create multiple containers on a single physical machine; and this allows you more flexibility, portability, and efficient use of hardware.

Unlike Virtual Machines, each container does not have to run an entire operating system. Instead, each shares a common kernel operating system.

Because of this, Containers tend to be is much lighter than VMs. One can create folders and files and install applications in a container and those applications will be isolated from other containers - even those on the same machine.

Here are some differences between Containers and Virtual Machines

  • At its lowest level, a Virtual Machine interacts with a virtualized hardware layer, while a Container interacts with an Operating System kernel.
  • A container tends to be much smaller than a Virtual Machine (mostly because it does not require an Operating System in the container itself).
  • The operating system of a container must be the same as the operating system of the computer on which it is hosted (although the host computer can be a VM). The operating system of a VM can be different from that of the machine on which it is hosted.
  • It usually takes less effort to create and configure a container than a VM (again, no operating system to install on a container)
  • Containers start up and shut down much faster than VMs. This makes them ideal for either scaling out new instances. Reboots  are also much faster, of course.

As you can see, most of the differences between Containers and VMs are advantages of Containers. Now that Windows will support both, I expect the popularity of Containers to increase dramatically.
Windows Server 2016 will contain support for Containers.

Containers are a method of software virtualization, similar Virtual Machines (VMs). As with Virtual Machines, you can create multiple containers on a single physical machine; and this allows you more flexibility, portability, and efficient use of hardware.

  • Unlike Virtual Machines, each container does not have to run an entire operating system. Instead, each shares a common kernel operating system.
  • Because of this, Containers tend to be is much lighter than VMs. One can create folders and files and install applications in a container and those applications will be isolated from other containers - even those on the same machine.
  • Here are some differences between Containers and Virtual Machines
  • At its lowest level, a Virtual Machine interacts with a virtualized hardware layer, while a Container interacts with an Operating System kernel.
  • A container tends to be much smaller than a Virtual Machine (mostly because it does not require an Operating System).
  • The operating system of a container must be the same as the operating system of the computer on which it is hosted (although the host computer can be a VM). The operating system of a VM can be different from that of the machine on which it is hosted.
  • It takes much less effort to create and configure a container than a VM (again, no operating system to install)
  • Containers start up and shut down much faster than VMs. This makes them ideal for either scaling out new instances.

As you can see, most of the differences between Containers and VMs are advantages of Containers. Now that Windows will support both, I expect the popularity of Containers to increase dramatically.