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features.md

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Sysbox User Guide: Feature List

OCI-based

  • Integrates with OCI compatible container managers and orchestrators (e.g., Docker and Kubernetes).

  • Sysbox is ~90% OCI-compatible. See here for more on this.

Easy Installation

  • Installs easily on Docker hosts or Kubernetes clusters.

  • For Kubernetes clusters, installation is done via a daemonset.

  • See here for more.

Strong container isolation

  • Always enables the Linux user-namespace on all containers:

    • Root user in the system container has all capabilities inside container only, but zero privileges on the host.

  • The procfs and sysfs exposed in the container are fully namespaced.

  • Programs running inside the system container (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, etc) are limited to using the resources given to the system container itself.

  • The system container's initial mounts are immutable (can't be changed from inside the container, even though processes in the container can setup other mounts).

  • See the security section of the User Guide for details.

Systemd-in-Docker [ v0.1.2+ ]

  • Run Systemd inside a Docker container or K8s pod easily, without complex container configurations.

  • Enables you to containerize apps that rely on Systemd (e.g., legacy apps).

Docker-in-Docker

  • Run Docker inside a container or pod, easily without insecure privileged containers and without mounting the host's Docker socket.

  • Full isolation between the Docker inside the container and the Docker on the host.

  • The inner Docker container images can live ephemerally inside the container or be cached on the host.

Kubernetes-in-Docker [ v0.2.0+ ]

  • Use containers as Kubernetes nodes, instead of more expensive VMs.

  • Containers are properly isolated (via the Linux user namespace) and run Kubernetes natively (as a VM or regular host would); no custom Docker images or tricky entrypoints needed.

  • Deploy directly with docker run commands for full flexibility, or using a higher level tool (e.g., such as kindbox).

  • Alternatively, run the K8s.io KinD tool inside a Sysbox container to containerize and entire Kubernetes cluster for local testing, and with proper isolation.

Kubernetes-in-Docker + Network Policies [ v0.4.0+ Sysbox-EE ]

  • Kubernetes nodes running within system containers can be interconnected through CNI's capable of enforcing network policies in a cluster. This is the case of WeaveNet and Calico CNIs, which offer network features that are more advanced than other more simplistic CNIs (e.g. Flannel).

  • WeaveNet and Calico CNI's are currently supported only as part of the Sysbox-EE product offering.

K3s-in-Docker [ v0.4.0+ ]

  • K3s clusters can be deployed within system containers to offer a lighter alternative to K8s deployments without the limitations of the rootless-k3s deployment approach.

  • As it is the case with K8s-in-Docker solutions, K3s nodes hosted within a system container are properly isolated through the diverse security mechanisms offered by the Sysbox runtime. In other words, Sysbox is not relying on privileged containers as other K3s-in-Docker solutions do.

RKE/RKE2-in-Docker [ v0.5.0+ Sysbox-EE ]

  • Deploy RKE and RKE2 clusters within Sysbox-powered docker containers or K8s pods for extra security and isolation.

  • The Canal CNI utilized by both RKE and RKE2 is currently only supported as part of the Sysbox-EE product offering.

Buildx + Buildkit [ v0.5.0+ ]

  • Run buildx and/or buildkit inside Docker containers or K8s pods for extra security and performance.

  • Avoid the limitations associated with running Buildkit in secure environments (i.e., buildkit-rootless) without the need to resort to privileged containers.

Fast & Efficient

  • Sysbox uses host resources optimally and starts containers in a few seconds.

  • Runs with performance equivalent to the OCI runc.

  • See here for a detailed performance analysis.

Inner Container Image Preloading

  • You can create a system container image that includes inner container images using a simple Dockerfile or via Docker commit. See here for more.

Please see our Roadmap for a list of features we are working on.

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