Unikernel meets Docker - what is beyond Containers?

Docker today announced the acquisition of Unikernel Systems, a Cambridge, UK-based startup that aims to bring unikernels to the masses (or at least the masses of developers). Docker plans to integrate support for unikernels into its own tools and services as it’s starting to look at technologies beyond containers to help developers build even more efficient microservices and serverless architectures.

The basic idea behind unikernels is to strip down the operating system to the absolute minimum so it can run a very specific application. Nothing more, nothing less. This means you would compile the necessary libraries to run an application right into the kernel of the operating system.

The result of this is a very small and fast machine that has fewer security issues than traditional operating systems (because you strip out so much from the operating system, the attack surface becomes very small, too). Because of this, unikernels are great for applications where security, agility, and efficiency are paramount like microservices and serverless.