Deployment using a containerization engine such as Docker

Because of the design of microservices, you need to have an environment that provides flexibility, agility, and smoothness for CI and CD as well as for shipment. Microservice deployments need speed, isolation management, and an agile life cycle.

Products and software can also be shipped using an intermodal-container model. An intermodal container is a large standardized container, designed for intermodal freight transport. It allows cargo to use different modes of transport—truck, rail, or ship—without unloading and reloading. This is an efficient and secure way of storing and transporting goods. It resolves the problem of shipping, which previously had been a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, and repeated handling often broke fragile goods.

Shipping containers encapsulate their content. Similarly, software containers are starting to be used to encapsulate their content (such as products, applications, and dependencies).

Previously, Virtual Machines (VMs) were used to create software images that could be deployed where needed. Later, containerization engines such as Docker became more popular as they were compatible with both traditional virtual stations systems and cloud environments. For example, it is not practical to deploy more than a couple of VMs on a developer's laptop. Building and booting a VM is usually I/O intensive and consequently slow.