What is the difference between Kubernetes and Docker?

Kubernetes and Docker are two different technologies that are often used together in the context of containerization and managing containerized applications. Here’s a brief overview of each:

Docker:

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Docker is an open-source platform that enables developers to build, package, and distribute applications using containers. Containers are lightweight, isolated environments that encapsulate an application and its dependencies, allowing it to run consistently across different environments. Docker provides a simple and efficient way to package and deploy applications, making it easier to build, ship, and run applications across different systems.

Kubernetes:

Kubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open-source container orchestration platform. It provides a framework for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Kubernetes helps in managing multiple containers across multiple hosts, providing features like automatic scaling, load balancing, service discovery, and rolling updates. It abstracts the underlying infrastructure and provides a unified API for managing and deploying applications at scale.

In summary, Docker focuses on containerization, providing a way to package and distribute applications, while Kubernetes focuses on orchestration, providing a platform to manage and scale containerized applications across a cluster of machines. Docker can be used to create and manage individual containers, while Kubernetes provides a higher-level abstraction for managing groups of containers and their interactions. Kubernetes can also work with other container runtimes besides Docker, making it a more versatile choice for container orchestration.