Understanding Docker software container objects

Container runtimes usually work by following a client-server model. We interact with the runtime by using a client command line such as docker, nerdctl, or crictl, depending on the backend. The runtime itself is responsible for managing different objects or resources, which can easily be manipulated by interacting with it. Before we learn how to interact with and manage software containers, we will learn about the different objects that are managed by the container runtime in this section. All commands or actions will be related to them, to either create, remove, or modify their properties. We learned about container images in Chapter 1, Modern Infrastructure and Applications with Docker, and Chapter 2, Building Docker Images, where we also learned how to build them. Let’s start by reviewing these well-known objects, which are common within all container runtimes:

• Container images: These objects are also referred to as...