Oh no, you're thinking, yet another cookie pop-up. Well, sorry, it's the law. We measure how many people read us, and ensure you see relevant ads, by storing cookies on your device. If you're cool with that, hit “Accept all Cookies”. For more info and to customize your settings, hit “Customize Settings”.

Review and manage your consent

Here's an overview of our use of cookies, similar technologies and how to manage them. You can also change your choices at any time, by hitting the “Your Consent Options” link on the site's footer.

Manage Cookie Preferences
  • These cookies are strictly necessary so that you can navigate the site as normal and use all features. Without these cookies we cannot provide you with the service that you expect.

  • These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.

  • These cookies collect information in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used. They allow us to count visits and traffic sources so that we can measure and improve the performance of our sites. If people say no to these cookies, we do not know how many people have visited and we cannot monitor performance.

See also our Cookie policy and Privacy policy.

This article is more than 1 year old

OpenStack Foundation backs 'virtualized containers', for security's sake

'Kata Containers' blends every-container-gets-a-kernel tech from Intel and hyper.sh

The OpenStack Foundation has made good on its promise to start helping complementary projects by adopting every-container-gets-its-own-kernel projects run by Intel and hyper.sh.

The new project, known as “Kata Containers”, will combine Intel's Clear Containers and Hyper runV and give each container a kernel in order to enhance separation and therefore security.

The OpenStack Foundation (OSF) told The Register it's backing the effort because container security isn't optimal in multitennant environments. As many of OpenStack's largest and most prominent users run substantial clouds, the organisation felt it appropriate to help get Kata Containers off the ground.

The project will, however, have its own brand and governance independent of the OSF. That separation was chosen because the Foundation doesn't want secure containers for multitennant environments to be perceived as tied to OpenStack, or to cloud operators.

Containers photo via Shutterstock

Intel's Clear Containers creep toward being useful: Now plays nicer with Docker, Kubernetes

READ MORE

When The Register last assessed Clear Containers we couldn't help but think that a container with its own kernel is really just a virtual machine by another name. The OSF isn't helping matters by calling Kata Containers “virtualized containers” in its launch statement. Nor does the organisation shy away from the fact that each Kata container gets “only the bits of a VM that you ned for security and isolation.”

OSF's also asserted that Kata containers' underpinnings are so light, they'll feel just like containers and be faster than containers running in full VMs. Vendors and projects that support containers in VMs have often told The Register exactly the same thing!

Kata containers inherit their contributors ability to play nice with Kubernetes and Docker, which will just see them as vanilla containers.

The OSF said the project will first work on an Agent, Runtime, Proxy, Shim, Kernel and packaging of QEMU 2.9. ®

 

Similar topics

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like