Edge computing is revolutionizing industries, but harnessing its full potential requires a delicate balance of power and flexibility. And this is where the dynamic duo of virtual machines (VMs) and containers comes into play. In a recent conversation between Rudy de Anda, Head of Strategic Alliances at Penguin Solutions, and Matt Vincent, Editor-in-Chief of Data Center Frontier, they explored how Penguin Solutions’ Stratus ztC Edge platform, integrated with Kubernetes management, delivers a robust, low-maintenance edge computing solution. But here's where it gets controversial: while VMs and containers are often pitted against each other, their true strength lies in collaboration, not competition.
Vincent kicked things off with a real-world scenario: How have VMs and containers worked together to enhance scalability and fault tolerance in edge environments?
De Anda shared an example from the oil and gas industry, where companies needed to consolidate workloads across departments to meet stringent cybersecurity standards. By leveraging the Stratus platform, they merged cybersecurity, SCADA, and historian applications onto a single, fault-tolerant device. This setup not only streamlined operations but also enabled the deployment of a virtual machine hosting containerized applications for AI-driven video analytics. This allowed for tasks like PPE compliance monitoring and leak detection to be managed from a unified platform—a game-changer for efficiency.
But here’s the part most people miss: What makes VMs and containers such a powerful pair in hybrid setups?
De Anda explained that VMs, which predate containers, are like a complete replica of your home PC—a full virtualization of an operating system and machine. Containers, on the other hand, are more like your smartphone, packaging applications with only the necessary dependencies, making them lightweight and highly portable. Here’s the controversial take: While VMs offer stability and resource dedication, containers provide agility and rapid updates. Together, they create a symbiotic relationship, but which one should you prioritize? That depends on your workload.
For control systems requiring locked-down environments and consistent performance, VMs are the go-to. In contrast, IoT applications, which demand frequent updates and iterations, thrive in containerized setups. The real trade-off? Balancing agility with stability. Containers excel in quick startups and real-time updates, but VMs ensure reliable, repeatable performance by dedicating resources.
And this is where Kubernetes steps in as a game-changer. It simplifies and standardizes the deployment of containerized applications, making them more portable and ensuring high availability. It’s become the gold standard for managing containerized environments, especially in fast-paced DevOps scenarios.
So, where does this leave us? Is one technology destined to replace the other? De Anda argues it’s not about replacement but understanding the strengths of each. For data science and DevOps teams, containers are ideal. For traditional, locked-down applications like cybersecurity, VMs are unmatched. The key is leveraging both to build a solution that’s both powerful and flexible.
But here’s the question we leave you with: In your edge computing strategy, how do you strike the perfect balance between VMs and containers? Share your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear your take!
