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Canonical partners with Docker for cloud container management

Linux power Canonical will support Docker Engine, as well as Kubernetes, for cloud container management.
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor

Ubuntu's parent company, Canonical, is strongly backing Kubernetes for cloud container management. Bu that doesn't mean it's putting all its DevOps eggs into the Kubernetes basket. Canonical has just announced it has partnered with Docker to provide an integrated commercially supported Docker Engine offering.

Docker Engine

Docker Engine combines a container runtime and a DevOps management platform into a seamless whole.

Docker, the company that took containers into IT's mainstream, created Docker Engine to be its commercial lightweight container runtime with built-in orchestration. Its orchestration capabilities enable administrators to define a declarative state for the distributed applications running across a cluster of nodes. This is based on a decentralized model that allows each Engine to be a uniform building block in a self-organizing, self-healing distributed system.

The two companies' agreement provides for a streamlined operations and support experience for joint customers. Docker will deliver stable, maintained releases of Docker as Ubuntu snap packages. In return, Canonical will provide Level 1 and Level 2 technical support for Docker Engine. Docker will back it up with Level 3 support. Canonical will ensure global availability of secure and Ubuntu images on Docker Hub.

Ubuntu is already the most popular cloud Linux. It's no surprise then that it's often used as a DevOps platform in container-centric environments. "The combination of Ubuntu and Docker is popular for scale-out container operations, and this agreement ensures that our joint user base has the fastest and easiest path to production for CS Docker Engine DevOps," explained John Zannos, Canonical's VP of cloud alliances and business development, in a statement.

Nick Stinemates, Docker's VP of business development and technical alliances, said, "Through our partnership, we provide users with more choice by bringing the agility, portability, and security benefits of the Docker CS engine to the larger Ubuntu community. Additionally, Ubuntu customers will be able to take advantage of official Docker support -- a service that is not available from most Linux distributions. Together, we have aligned to make it even easier for organizations to create new efficiencies across the entire software supply chain."

This commercial version of Docker Engine is available as a software subscription.

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