Containers vs Virtual Machines: What's the Difference?

Why are containers considered to have much less overhead and greater portability compared to virtual machines?

Choose the correct answer:

a) Containers directly interact with the host OS

b) Containers do not utilize system-level virtualization

c) Containers require a full OS stack per instance

Answer:

a) Containers directly interact with the host OS

Containers are considered to have much less overhead and greater portability compared to virtual machines because they directly interact with the host OS. This allows them to share the same system kernel and avoid the need for a full OS stack per instance.

By interacting directly with the host OS, containers can start much faster, require fewer system resources, and allow more instances per hardware unit. This makes them significantly more portable and efficient in various environments.