What is the difference between a virtual machine and a Docker container?

A virtual machine (VM) is like a house. It is fully contained with its own plumbing and heating and cooling system. If you want another house, you build a new foundation, with new walls, new plumbing, and its own heating and cooling system. VMs are large. They start their own operating systems.

Containers are like apartments in an apartment building. They share infrastructure. They can be many different sizes. You can have different sizes depending on the needs. Containers “live” in a Docker host.

If you build a house, you need many resources. If you build an apartment building, each unit shares resources. Like an apartment, Docker is smaller and satisfies specific needs, is more agile, and more easily changed.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication examines the installation and operation of Docker Enterprise Edition on the IBM Z® platform.

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Planning for Docker Enterprise Edition

Chapter 3. Installing and deploying Docker

Chapter 4. Basic Docker operations

Chapter 5. Sample use cases