Docker vs Virtual Machines: Which is Right for You?
When it comes to the deployment of applications and isolating environments, two leading technologies dominate the scene: Docker and Virtual Machines (VMs). Both are excellent tools for developers to manage software applications, but how do you know which one to use? This article will compare Docker and Virtual Machines and provide examples of how to use each.
What is a Virtual Machine (VM)?
A Virtual Machine (VM) emulates a computer system and enables you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single machine. With VMs, developers can build, test, and deploy different applications in diverse environments without needing multiple physical machines.
VMs provide an entire system infrastructure, including a full OS, virtualized hardware, and software applications. This feature creates a perfect replication of a physical computer system, which, while advantageous for compatibility, can result in significant overheads.
Consider this example: let’s say you have a Windows PC but need to run an application that is only available on Linux. Instead of buying a new machine, you could use a VM such as VirtualBox or VMware to emulate a Linux environment within your Windows system.
