Virtual Machines vs Containers

Summary

This video explores the differences between virtual machines (VMs) and containers. VMs simulate hardware and software to run multiple applications on a single server, but they consume significant resources and are slower to start. Containers, on the other hand, package applications with necessary files and dependencies, sharing the host OS, making them lightweight, fast, and portable. The video also touches on the potential of using both technologies for maximum productivity.

Takeaways

• 😀 Traditionally, applications ran on dedicated servers, leading to underutilization of server resources.
• 🏢 Servers often operated at only 10% of their capacity, resulting in inefficient use of resources and higher costs.
• 💻 Engineers developed virtual machines (VMs) to allow multiple applications to run on a single server by simulating hardware and software.
• 🖥️ A hypervisor is essential in VM technology, enabling one machine to run multiple VMs and manage hardware resource sharing.
• 🌐 Common hypervisors include VMware ESXi, Citrix XenServer, and Microsoft Hyper-V.
• 📚 Each VM has its own operating system, leading to increased disk space, RAM, and CPU consumption.
• 🚀 VMs are slower to start up due to the need to boot an entire operating system for each instance.
• 💡 VMs require licenses for the operating systems, adding to the cost.
• 📦 Containers, unlike VMs, package an application with its dependencies, configurations, and files, making them lightweight and portable.
• 🐳 Docker is a leading software for creating, managing, and running containers, compatible with both Linux and Windows.
• 🔌 Containers share the underlying operating system of the server, making them smaller and faster to boot up compared to VMs.
• 🚫 Containers must be compatible with the server's operating system, unlike VMs which can run any OS.
• 💔 A crash in the server's operating system can affect all containers running on it.
• 🤝 Some organizations use both VMs and containers to maximize productivity.

Q & A

What was the traditional method of running applications on servers before the advent of virtual machines and containers?

The traditional method involved running a single application on each server, whether it was for a website, database, or email. This was due to the limitations of operating systems like Linux and Windows, which could not securely run multiple applications on a single server.

Why was running one application per server considered inefficient?

Running one application per server was inefficient because modern servers are very powerful, often operating at only 10 percent of their capacity. This resulted in a significant waste of money and underutilization of the server's full potential.

What problem did virtual machines (VMs) solve in the context of server utilization?

Virtual machines solved the problem of wasting money on new servers by allowing multiple applications to run on a single server. They simulate hardware and software, enabling the creation of multiple virtual machines on one physical server.

What is a hypervisor and what role does it play in virtual machines?

A hypervisor is software that allows one machine to run multiple virtual machines. It allocates and controls the sharing of the machine's hardware resources among the virtual machines.

What are some common hypervisors mentioned in the script?

Some common hypervisors mentioned are VMware ESXi, Citrix XenServer, and Microsoft Hyper-V.

What are the drawbacks of using virtual machines?

Drawbacks of virtual machines include consuming a lot of disk space due to their dedicated operating systems, consuming a lot of RAM and CPU power, being slow to start up, and requiring a license for each operating system, which adds to the cost.

How do containers differ from virtual machines in terms of what they contain?

Containers differ from virtual machines in that they only contain an application with all the necessary files, configurations, and dependencies, rather than simulating an entire machine with an operating system.

What is Docker and what role does it play in containers?

Docker is the leading software used to create, manage, and run containers. It packages applications with all their dependencies into a portable format that can run on any compatible computing environment.

Why are containers considered lightweight compared to virtual machines?

Containers are considered lightweight because they share the underlying operating system of the server and only contain the application, resulting in smaller file sizes and faster boot times compared to virtual machines.

What are some disadvantages of using containers compared to virtual machines?

Disadvantages of containers include the requirement for the container file to be packaged to work with the same operating system as the server it's running on, and the fact that if the server's operating system crashes, all containers will go down.

Why might an organization use both virtual machines and containers on the same machine?

Organizations might use both virtual machines and containers on the same machine to maximize productivity. They can run VMs on the server and then run containers within those VMs, utilizing the benefits of both technologies.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to VMs and Containers

This paragraph introduces the concepts of virtual machines (VMs) and containers by first explaining the traditional server application setup, where each server runs a single application. It highlights the inefficiency and high costs associated with this method due to underutilization of server capabilities. The paragraph then transitions into discussing VMs as a solution, which allows multiple applications to run on a single server by simulating hardware and software. It explains the role of hypervisors in VM operation and lists common hypervisors like VMware ESXi, Citrix Xen, and Microsoft Hyper-V. The summary also points out the drawbacks of VMs, such as high disk space consumption, RAM and CPU usage, slow startup times, and the need for additional operating system licenses.

05:01

🚀 Containers: The Lightweight Alternative

This paragraph delves into the concept of containers as an alternative to VMs, emphasizing their lightweight nature and efficiency. Containers package an application with its necessary files, configurations, and dependencies, allowing it to run in any computing environment without additional setup. The leading software for container management, Docker, is mentioned, highlighting its compatibility with both Linux and Windows systems. The paragraph contrasts containers with VMs, noting that containers share the host server's operating system, resulting in smaller file sizes and faster boot times. It also touches on the portability of container files and their smaller size, which facilitates easier movement across different machines. However, the paragraph also acknowledges the disadvantages of containers, such as the requirement for the container's operating system to match the host server's and the potential for all containers to fail if the host OS crashes. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of using both VMs and containers in the same environment for maximum productivity and positions Docker containers as the future due to their advantages in size, portability, and speed.

Keywords

💡Virtual Machines (VMs)

Virtual Machines, or VMs, are a technology that allows multiple applications to run on a single physical server by simulating hardware and software. In the video, VMs are presented as a solution to the inefficiency of having one application per server, enabling better resource utilization and cost savings. The script describes VMs as having their own operating systems and applications, which can be a drawback due to the high consumption of disk space, RAM, and CPU power, as well as slower startup times.

💡Containers

Containers are a lightweight alternative to VMs, which package an application with all its necessary files, configurations, and dependencies to run in any computing environment. The video emphasizes the portability and speed of containers, which do not require a full operating system like VMs. Containers share the host's operating system, making them start up quickly and consume less system resources, which is a significant advantage over VMs.

💡Hypervisor

A hypervisor is a piece of software that sits on top of the hardware and allows multiple VMs to run on a single physical server. It is responsible for allocating and controlling the sharing of the machine's hardware resources among the VMs. In the script, common hypervisors like VMware ESXi, Citrix XenServer, and Microsoft Hyper-V are mentioned, illustrating the role of the hypervisor in the virtualization process.

💡Docker

Docker is the leading software used to create, manage, and run containers. It operates on both Linux and Windows machines and is instrumental in the containerization process by unpacking container files and utilizing the host's operating system kernel. The video script highlights Docker as a key technology that facilitates the efficient use of containers.

💡Operating System (OS)

An Operating System is the software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides services for computer programs. In the context of the video, the OS is crucial for both VMs and containers. VMs require a dedicated OS for each instance, whereas containers share the host's OS, which contributes to their lightweight nature and efficiency.

💡Portability

Portability, in the video, refers to the ability to move VM files and container files to different machines. While both VMs and containers offer portability, container files are smaller and thus more 'ultra portable', making it easier and faster to transfer and deploy applications across different environments.

💡Resource Utilization

Resource Utilization is the efficiency with which computing resources like CPU, memory, and storage are used. The video discusses how traditional server setups with one application per server led to underutilization of resources. VMs and containers improve resource utilization by allowing multiple applications to share the same hardware.

💡Application

An application, in the context of the video, refers to a software program designed for a specific task, such as running a website, database, or email service. The script explains how VMs and containers enable applications to run more efficiently on shared or isolated environments, respectively.

💡Disk Space

Disk Space is the storage capacity available on a hard drive or other storage media. The video points out that VMs can consume a lot of disk space because each one has its own dedicated operating system. In contrast, containers, which do not require a separate OS, use less disk space.

💡RoboForm

RoboForm is a password manager mentioned in the video that simplifies the process of remembering and logging into websites by storing and automatically entering passwords. It is highlighted as a solution for managing multiple passwords, enhancing online security and convenience.

💡Server

A server is a computer or system that provides resources, data, or services to other computers, known as clients, over a network. In the video, servers are the hardware on which applications traditionally ran, and later, VMs and containers were developed to optimize the use of these servers' capabilities.

Highlights

Traditional servers run one application each, leading to inefficient use of server capabilities.

Operating systems like Linux and Windows previously couldn't run multiple applications securely on a single server.

Each new application required a new server, leading to high costs and underutilization of server capacity.

Virtual machines (VMs) were developed to allow multiple applications to run on a single server by simulating hardware and software.

A hypervisor is essential in VM technology, enabling one machine to run multiple VMs and manage hardware sharing.

Common hypervisors include VMware ESXi, Citrix XenServer, and Microsoft Hyper-V.

VMs solve the problem of wasting money on new servers but have drawbacks like consuming a lot of disk space and resources.

VMs are slow to start up due to the need to boot an entire operating system.

Each VM requires a license for the operating system, adding to the cost.

Containers package an application with all necessary files, configurations, and dependencies, making them lightweight and portable.

Docker is the leading software for creating, managing, and running containers, compatible with Linux and Windows.

Containers use a container engine and the operating system's kernel, unlike VMs which use a hypervisor.

Containers are faster to boot up and consume less RAM and CPU power compared to VMs.

Container files are smaller and more portable than VM files, making them ultra-portable.

A disadvantage of containers is that they must be packaged to work with the same operating system as the server.

If the server's operating system crashes, all containers will go down, unlike in VMs where each VM is independent.

Some organizations use both VMs and containers on the same machine for maximum productivity.

Docker containers are seen as the future due to their size, portability, and speed.

Transcripts

hello everyone in this video we're going

to talk about the difference between

virtual machines and containers but

before we talk about the difference

between the two let's go back and talk

about how things were before VMS and

containers so the traditional way that a

company or a business operates is by

having applications running on servers

and each server would just have one

application running whether that

application is running a website a

database or email so it would be one

application on one server and this was

because the operating systems on these

servers such as Linux and windows didn't

really have the capability to run

multiple applications securely on a

single server so with each new

application that a company or a business

offered they would have to buy a new

server for it to run on and on top of

that the application wouldn't be able to

take full advantage of the server's

capability because modern servers today

are so powerful that oftentimes the

server is only running at 10 percent of

its capacity so by running one

application on one server turned out to

be a big waste of money and also on the

server's full potential

so to fix this problem Engineers

developed virtual machines virtual

machines allows multiple applications to

run on a single server by simulating

hardware and software so for example if

a company had three servers running one

application each those three

applications can be run on a single

server by simulating those three servers

and their applications by creating three

virtual machines so now this one server

is running three virtual or

software-based machines it's running all

of the different operating systems and

also the applications such as databases

web services and email and they're all

running side by side on one machine

so as you can see on this graphic to

build virtual machines you start off

with Hardware such as a server and then

on top of the hardware there is software

called a hypervisor a hypervisor is what

allows one machine to run multiple

virtual machines it's what allocates and

controls the sharing of a machine's

Hardware some common hypervisors are

VMware esxi Citrix Zen server and

Microsoft hyper-v and on top of the

hypervisor are the virtual machines and

each of these will have their own

operating system such as Windows Linux

and Unix and then on top of the

operating systems there's the

applications that these machines are

going to be running so as you can see

virtual machines solve the problem of

wasting money on new servers but as

great as they are they do have some

drawbacks and one of them is that VMS

can consume a lot of disk space and this

is because each VM has its own dedicated

operating system and because they have

their own operating system VMS also

consume a lot of RAM and CPU power from

the server that could be used for other

processes and VMS are slow to start up

because since they have an entire

operating system they do take time to

boot up and with each VM it also

requires a license for the operating

system which costs even more money

now let's talk about containers now

containers are similar to VMS but the

major difference is that where VMS

simulate an entire machine containers

only contain an application a container

is an application that's been packaged

with all the files configurations and

dependencies necessary for it to run

which basically means that it's bundled

with everything that it needs to run on

just about any Computing environment

without having to add anything else to

that computer so for example if a

developer created a website and they

wanted to distribute that website so it

can be hosted on just about any other

computer they can create a container for

that website by bundling it with

everything it takes for it to be hosted

on another computer such as the

libraries HTML code scripts web images

and web server software then that

container image can be distributed and

hosted on just about any computer or

server without adding any additional

software or doing any configuration the

container has everything it needs to run

that website all in a convenient little

package which is amazing and the leading

software that is used to create manage

and run containers is Docker Docker can

run on Linux and windows machines

so just like VMS to create containers

you start off with Hardware such as a

server and then on top of the hardware

is an operating system such as Linux now

instead of a hypervisor containers will

use a container engine a container

engine is what unpacks the container

files and then hands them off to the

core of the operating system which is

the kernel

so as I stated before the major

difference between containers and

virtual machines is that each VM

contains an entire operating system

which makes their file size larger which

is why they are slower to boot up but on

the other hand containers don't the

containers share the underlying

operating system that's on the server

between them containers only contain an

application which makes their file size

much smaller and this is why containers

are considered lightweight which also

makes them lightning fast so while VMS

can take minutes to boot up containers

take milliseconds containers also

consume less RAM and CPU power from the

server than VMS now both VM files and

container files are portable which means

that you can move them easily to

different machines but container files

are a lot smaller which makes them Ultra

portable

now containers do have some

disadvantages when compared to Virtual

machines and one disadvantage is that

the container file or image must be

packaged to work with the same operating

system of the server that it's running

on so if the server's operating system

is Linux then the container file must be

Linux based if the operating system is

Windows then the container must be

Windows based but with virtual machines

this isn't a problem a VM can run any

operating system it wants another

disadvantage is that since the

containers share the underlying

operating system between them that means

that if the operating system on the

server crashes then all the containers

will go down

so you can clearly see that both VMS and

containers are amazing Technologies in

fact some organizations use both of

these Technologies on the same machine

where they would have a server running

VMS and inside those VMS they would be

running containers utilizing maximum

productivity but that being said Docker

containers are clearly the future

because of their size portability and

speed

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