Kubernetes, often abbreviated to K8s, is an open-source platform designed to automate deployment, scaling, and management. It has rapidly become the de facto standard for orchestrating complex application environments.
The terms containers, Docker, and Kubernetes are often used interchangeably but represent distinct concepts. Let’s clarify the differences between these technologies.
### **Containers: The Building Blocks**
A container is a standardised unit of software that packages up code and all its dependencies so the application runs quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another. It’s a lightweight, isolated environment where applications can run.
### **Docker: The Platform**
Docker is a platform for building, shipping, and running containerised applications. It simplifies the process of creating, deploying, and managing containers. Think of Docker as a tool that makes it easy to work with containers.
### **Kubernetes: The Orchestrator**
Kubernetes, often abbreviated to K8s, is an open-source platform to manage containerised workloads and services. It automates deployment, scaling, and management processes. While Docker is about creating and running individual containers, Kubernetes is about managing and coordinating multiple containers as a cohesive system.