Parallels Cloud Server getting native Docker support

I have to admit I didn’t really know that Parallels did stuff other than the Parallels virtualization software I use to run Windows from within Mac OS X. Apparently, Parallels was also one of the pioneers of container technologies when it was still SWsoft, and now it is jumping on the Docker bandwagon to bring native support for Docker apps to its Parallels Cloud Server platform.

I wrote a blog post about the upcoming change to Parallels Cloud Server:

When I think of Parallels, the first thing that comes to mind is virtual machines. I have used Parallels for years as a means of running a virtualized instance of a Windows operating system from within Mac OS X. In addition to virtual machines, though, Parallels was also doing containers before containers were cool, and announced last week that it will soon include native support for docker applications as well.

Parallels was working with container technologies years ago with Virtuozzo and the open source OpenVZ platform. The company claims to be the most widely-deployed containers platform in the world, with over one million instances. With the launch of native Docker support, service providers will be able to provide container-based virtual private servers on the Parallels Cloud Server platform to customers that want to build with Docker applications. Parallels

“A challenge customers face today is running Docker images in a virtualized environment based on a hypervisor,” explained James Bottomley, chief technology officer of virtualization for Parallels. “This takes a core benefit of Docker—that the applications run in containers at higher density and performance—and reduces that benefit considerably.”

Bottomley added, “With Parallels solution, the service provider can offer the customer an environment where Docker is running on top of Parallels Cloud Server containers-based virtualization for optimal performance and at high-density.”

Check out the complete story at DevOps.com: Native support for Docker apps coming soon to Parallels.