Top 5 Free and Open-Source Container Management Software for Linux


To manage the technicalities of complex applications, their development, management, and positioning, lightweight packages are used known as containers. The process of development automation, scaling, and stationing the containers is referred to as container management. They are used to overcome the challenge when you are transferring an application from one environment to another, and the two environments are not identical to one another. The little difference between the functionalities of virtual machines and containers is that containers run on a shared operating system as compared to virtual machines that require isolated operating systems for every application. This allows smooth functioning, quick loading, easy access to different clouds, and untroubled transfer. Container software streamlines the process of networking, orchestration, automation, governance, extensibility, security, and support. To reduce the complexities of host setup, container software provides security, storage, monitoring, and schedulers. They also aid IT teams with simplified administration and decrease the time and resources required for the DevOps processes. Organizations and IT teams are empowered to set the policies and procedures that whether containers share the host or not. Understanding the infrastructure that would be required for the containers is very crucial. Deploying correct infrastructure ensures the smooth running of container software and ensures that they meet the needs of the project. Also, it is the responsibility of the IT team to make use of existing infrastructure and how the parts of it can be preserved and managed to accommodate the software.

Dynamic and progressive organizations have understood the need for container management tools, and they have not stepped back in deploying them for sustained growth. We want to see you among those reforming enterprises, that is why we have selected and discussed 5 top free and open-source tools that would align perfectly with your needs.

Docker

For operating-system-like-virtualization, docker is the best containerization software. This software was developed in 2013 by Docker, Inc and is written in ‘Go’ language. It provides its users with an automated and integrated security policy. Docker also supports a vast number of applications making it a versatile software including Orchestrator, OS, and infrastructure. Only trusted images are allowed to run that ensure the safety of users. Apart from all this, it provides automated governance, automated and unified agile operations. You will be able to save storage space, and time too which is otherwise wasted in patching and downtime. It is completely adaptable to the CI/CD and provides plenty of docker images and plugins that enhance the productivity of the software. Although, it is not an easy tool for beginners and it would require a lot of time and effort to be a precise user.

Get it now from https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/

Kubernetes

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Kubernetes is one of the most widely used software among IT companies. It was developed by Google and transferred to Cloud Native Computing Foundation in 2015. Kubernetes ensures the full management of the lifecycle of applications and services by incorporating scalability, predictability, and high availability method. This software would help in deploying and managing multi-container applications. All these features help in the smooth running and management of applications. It sure is the best solution but a little hard to use for the newbies. Also, it is not considered user-friendly and gives you a little hard time adjusting if you are switching from any other software.

Get it now from https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl-linux/

OpenShift

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OpenShift is a great free, and open-source tool developed by RedHat which combines the construction of Docker and the cluster manager of Kubernetes which makes it a perfect tool for application’s lifecycle management. Openshift has to offer amazing features for its users like it ensures safety by providing security for different stack levels. It has a user-friendly interface unlike others, making it a popular choice amongst newbies. It is easily adaptable to the infrastructure of many companies, which increases the versatility of the software. There are a few challenges too tagged with the use of OpenShift, such that it does not support the cluster from other vendors and is adaptable with Kubernetes cluster only. Also, the technical support is limited to the paid plans.

Get it now from https://developers.redhat.com/products/openshift/download

LXC

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LXC is an open-source, free, user-friendly, and intuitive platform that makes the user’s experience remarkable by providing tools, libraries, templates, and tools. For resource allocation, prioritization, and limitation, a Linux kernel C group functionality is used. Another function worth mentioning is the Namespace isolation which enables users to have an isolated application view of the distro’s environment, mounted file system, UIDs, and process trees. LXC has a powerful API, has simpler tools, and is much faster and far cheaper than virtualization. The only drawback is the lack of enough privacy as compared to other tools.

Get it now from https://linuxcontainers.org/lxc/downloads/

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure has to offer different services according to the changing needs of the user. It has become the user’s choice by providing features like deployment flexibility, run-on-premises, adaptable with almost all languages, open-source Doker CLI, log analytics, application insights, hybrid platform support, and a fully managed container platform. Apart from these features, Azure has a very interactive CLI, simple configuration, compatibility with a lot of tools, easy setup, and high scalability. The major con of Azure is the difficult upgradation of Kubernetes once the software is deployed.

Get it now from https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/

Closing Remarks

We have seen a swift evolution of container software in recent years that has changed the game for IT companies. They have enabled companies to quickly develop, test, maintain, and deploy their applications and monitor them afterward. This ensures the best possible experience for the users and guarantees the developmental drift for the business. We have selected and discussed the top 5 free and open-source container management software so that you can research and finalize the software that has the best capabilities to fulfill your needs.

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