Do you still use only Docker or Podman? Find out why you should try Ubuntu LXD

INTRODUCTION

Ubuntu LXD is Ubuntu’s container manager, based on LXC(Linux Containers), which despite the rise of technologies such as Docker in the Kubernetes ecosystem, remains highly relevant. This article explores the reasons behind the persistence of LXD, its distinctive use cases and the products that employ it in the real world. Ready to find out why you should pay attention?

WHAT IS UBUNTU LXD?

LXD is a container management tool that acts as an enhancement to LXC, offering a more complete containerization experience geared towards lightweight virtual machines. While Docker and all other containers based on the OCI standard are ephemeral by design, LXD is more focused on providing full system containers, allowing multiple processes and services to run in a virtual machine-like fashion. You can even, deploy a complete Kubernetes environment, with its containers inside an LXD In that it looks much more like its close relatives such as BSD jails, Solaris zones and AIX WPARs. Still think Docker or Podman are your only options?

The evolution of containers

Remember when Docker was the one containerization tool everyone loved? Since its release in 2013, Docker revolutionized application development and deployment by making containers accessible and easy to use. Docker allowed developers to package their applications together with all their dependencies, ensuring that they would work consistently in any environment. This innovation led to a massive adoption of containers in the industry, with Docker and Podman becoming de facto standards, if not directly their orchestrators such as Kubernetes. But is Docker the only star of the show?

While Docker was getting all the attention, LXD was quietly working to offer something different: full OS containers. As organizations adopt containers for more use cases, the need for more sophisticated and efficient management has arisen. This is where LXD comes in. Can you imagine having the flexibility of virtual machines but with the efficiency of containers, without having to go crazy and totally change use cases?

Comparison between Ubuntu LXD, Podman and Docker

Docker and Podman are designed to package and deploy individual applications, while Ubuntu LXD offers a more complete experience. Its architecture focuses on containerization of microservices, cloud applications and continuous deployment.

In addition, they are tightly integrated with Kubernetes, the most popular container orchestration tool on the market. On the other hand, LXD allows you to run a complete system inside a container. This capability makes it ideal for use cases where a complete environment is required, similar to a virtual machine but with the efficiency of containers. See the difference?

Ubuntu LXD Use Cases

LXD excels in several specific scenarios. For example, in
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
LXD enables the creation and management of complete operating system containers. This is ideal for cloud service providers who need to offer complete environments without the overhead of traditional virtual machines. Have you ever had trouble replicating a development environment identical to the production environment? With LXD, developers can create isolated and replicable development environments, minimizing configuration and dependency issues.

In the field of network simulations and testing, LXD allows you to simulate complex networks and test services at the network level. This capability is crucial for replicating entire network infrastructures within a single host. For system administration and DevOps tasks, LXD offers flexibility beyond application containerization. It allows the creation of complete environments that can be managed, updated and monitored as if they were physical machines, but with the efficiency of containers. Still think that only Docker is your only alternative?

Solutions using Ubuntu LXD

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu and a Sixe partner, has developed several solutions based on Ubuntu LXD to offer exceptional performance and flexibility. Among these solutions is MAAS (Metal as a Service), which uses LXD to provide highly configurable development and test environments. It allows users to deploy complete operating systems in containers, facilitating the management of large and complex infrastructures.

Microcloud benefits from LXD by integrating it to offer full operating system containers as an additional (or alternative) option to traditional virtual machines, improving flexibility and efficiency in resource management. In addition, Travis CI, a continuous integration platform, uses LXD to run its test environments, enabling Travis CI to deliver fast and reproducible test environments, improving developer efficiency. Are you surprised? There is more.

For those of you who are looking to implement these solutions in your environment,
SIXE Engineering
is the reference partner of Canonical and Ubuntu that you are looking for. With extensive experience in implementing LXD and other virtualization technologies, SIXE can help you maximize the potential of your technology infrastructures. Whether you need support for MAAS, OpenStack or any other LXD-based solution, SIXE has the knowledge and experience to guide you every step of the way. When there are many paths that fork, we can recommend, advise and accompany you on the one that suits you best. Without compromises or being tied to any manufacturer, because with Canonical we do not offer closed products, but open technologies, made with and for the community, taking the philosophy of free software to its ultimate consequences.

Conclusion

Despite the dominance of lightweight containerization technologies such as Docker and Podman in Kubernetes, LXD remains relevant in many use cases because of its ability to provide full OS containers. Its use in infrastructure as a service, development environments, network simulations and system administration as well as its adoption in products such as MAAS, OpenStack and Travis are proof of this.

In our view, the benefits of LXD lie in its unique ability to combine the efficiency of containers with the simplicity of virtual machines, offering a hybrid solution that remains essential for multiple applications. Still think Docker is the only option? Surely not. We hope you enjoyed this article and remember that, for any implementation of these technologies,
you can count on SIXE’s expert support by clicking here.
We will always be at your side with the best free solutions.