...
- Requires docker and base os it be installed before running image.
- Requires Hardware support on non linux OS.
- Host OS and image OS must match. (e.g. Linux os will run only linux images.)
- Requires internet access to get base image
Cloud Host Image
A cloud host image is a pre made virtual machine image built to run on a specific cloud hosting provider. The most common format is Amazon's Amazon Machine Image(ami).
Pros
- Easy to setup when using Amazon EC2.
- Performance is good with the option to scale up using EC2.
- Easy to upgrade after initial install. *(If updating packages in the vm.)
Cons
- Requires internet access for installation AND operation.
- Cost of running EC2 instances.
| Packaging Solution | Requires Additional Software | Requires Hardware Support | Requires Operating System Support | Requires Internet Access | Performance(1-5) | Ease of Install(1-5) | Easy to update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone Binary | No | No | Standalone is specific to OS | No | 5 | 5 | No |
| Installer Packages | Yes, dependencies | No | Packages are specific to OS | Yes | 5 | 4 | Yes |
| Virtual Machine Images | Yes, VM software | Yes, AMD-V or VT-x | No | No | 3 | 4 | Yes* |
| Docker Images | Yes, docker and OS img | Yes, if using boot2docker | Host os and docker OS must match | Yes | 4.5 | 2 | Yes |
| Cloud Host Images | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes, even for operation. | 5 | 5* | Yes* |
Blockers for each packaging method
...
- You need an easy to install method.
- Using a non linux OS and do not meet the hardware virtualization requirements.
- No internet access during install and do not have docker and all images needed to run the application.
Cloud Host Image
You should not use the Cloud hosting image if any of the following are true.
- You do not have reliable internet access.
- You need your data on site.
- Cloud provider is to expensive.