Why Relying Solely on Containers Can Indicate an Immature Solution

Container technologies are undeniably the future. They provide flexibility, scalability, and efficiency, making life easier for DevOps teams managing application lifecycles. However, I see a concerning trend—many new software solutions are offered exclusively as Docker images, with no alternative deployment options. To me, this signals a lack of maturity in the solution.

Here’s why:

  • Security concerns – Instead of properly addressing security risks, some teams use containers as a quick isolation fix. This is a band-aid solution rather than a true security strategy.
  • Performance issues – If the software requires a container to function efficiently, it suggests underlying performance problems that haven't been properly optimized.
  • Dependency chaos – A well-designed application should be deployable in multiple environments. If the only way to run it is through a container, it often means the implementation is messy, with tangled dependencies that make traditional deployments impractical.

Using containers for testing? Perfectly fine. But when a product is shipped solely as a Docker image, it raises questions. Is it a well-thought-out decision, or just an easy way to mask deeper issues? In my opinion, this warrants a thorough review before considering adoption. Containers should be a choice, not a crutch.

Leïla Sakli

Experte en DevOps, IoT, IA, Prédiction & Gestion des Risques | Enseignante à l'IUT d'Aix | Post-doctorante au LIS

2mo

Your attention to performance is noteworthy. You are correct that if an application relies on containers for effective operation, that can be a warning sign. Ideally, a well-structured application should function on traditional infrastructure without any performance loss. Containers are meant to enhance software deployment speed and portability, not to serve as a temporary fix for unresolved performance problems in the core code. That being said, there are valid container use cases where the performance advantages, such as resource isolation and efficient scaling, surpass the extra costs. However, if performance is entirely reliant on the container, it often indicates that the application has not been optimized for environments outside of containers or bare-metal.

Leïla Sakli

Experte en DevOps, IoT, IA, Prédiction & Gestion des Risques | Enseignante à l'IUT d'Aix | Post-doctorante au LIS

2mo

I completely see your perspective, and I believe you bring up some important issues.The emergence of containerization technologies like Docker has certainly changed the game, but, like any new tech, there are some initial challenges and possible risks to consider. Security Concerns You are absolutely spot on regarding security. Containers, while they provide separation, are not foolproof. In fact, various security weaknesses in containers result from improper configurations or overly lenient security settings, which could accidentally allow for exploitation. Some teams might use containers as a “quick solution” for isolation, but they should ensure they adhere to best practices for container security, such as using minimal base images, performing security checks, and applying the principle of least privilege. Moreover, containers often utilize the same host core, so if a container is compromised, it could potentially jeopardize the entire system. This is a risk that many organizations overlook when depending on containers for security.

Azhar Shaikh

🌩️ CDP Public Cloud Solutions | Multi-Cloud Certified Architect (AWS | Azure | GCP) | Kubernetes Certified (CKA) | Terraform | DevOps Expert | CDP Public Cloud Specialist | SaaS | PaaS | IaaS | Hadoop | Terraform | NiFi

2mo

Informative. Dependency chaos 👍

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