Containerization is a virtualization technology that packages software code along with its dependencies into units called “containers.” These containers provide a self-contained and isolated environment for applications to run, ensuring consistency across different computing environments. This technology is widely utilized in cloud computing and is essential for modern software development practices.

Containers are typically managed using orchestration systems like Kubernetes or Docker Swarm, which automate the scheduling and management of containers across clusters of servers. Each container is built from a container image, which serves as a blueprint for creating the container. This process allows for efficient deployment and scaling of applications.

One of the key advantages of containerization is its lightweight nature, as containers do not require a full operating system to run, making them faster and more efficient than traditional virtual machines. This efficiency allows for a higher density of applications to be run on a single host, which is particularly beneficial in cloud environments ¹³.