Docker is an open-source platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of applications inside lightweight containers. Containers bundle an application’s code together with its dependencies, libraries, and configuration files, ensuring that it runs the same in any environment.
Unlike traditional virtual machines, Docker containers share the same operating system kernel, making them much more efficient in terms of system resources. This efficiency allows developers to spin up multiple isolated containers on a single host without the overhead of full OS emulation.
Docker has become a cornerstone of modern DevOps practices. It simplifies continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, improves collaboration between development and operations teams, and accelerates the delivery of new features by ensuring consistent environments from a developer’s laptop to production servers.