Following up on the April 2014 announcement of Solaris 11.2, a modern cloud platform including a full OpenStack distribution, Oracle has announced plans to integrate Docker into Oracle Solaris.
Docker containers wrap up a piece of software in a complete filesystem that contains the components it needs to run, including code, runtime, system tools, and system libraries, ensure that it will run same way no matter what environment it is running in.
The new Docker-Solaris integration will enable customers to leverage the Docker open platform to more easily distribute applications built and deployed in Oracle Solaris Zones, Oracle Solaris’ built-in virtualization technology. Oracle said it will also make software including Oracle WebLogic Server available for development and testing as Docker images.
Solaris pioneered container technology more than 10 years ago as Solaris Containers. Oracle acquired the Solaris technology in 2009 as part of its purchase of Sun Microsystems. Now known as Oracle Solaris Zones, a majority of Solaris customers use the technology for its scalability and efficiency, as well as comprehensive resource and security isolation, according to Oracle.
The integration gives developers the best of both worlds – access to Oracle Solaris’ security, resource isolation and analytics with the ability to easily create containers in dev/test, production and cloud environments, according to Markus Flierl, vice president, Oracle Solaris Core Technology.
“Docker welcomes Oracle Solaris to the Docker community. Integrating Docker with Oracle Solaris Zones will bring a mature and proven container technology to Docker environments running in enterprise-class clouds,” said Nick Stinemates, vice president of Business Development & Technical Alliances for Docker.
Oracle also recently released the beta for Oracle Solaris 11.3, which includes new Solaris Zones features such as secure live migration, live reconfiguration and verified boot for Oracle Solaris Kernel Zones. The Oracle Solaris 11.3 beta is available from Oracle Technology Network.