Docker has acquired Unikernel Systems, a start-up focused on unikernel development. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Unikernel Systems, which is based in Cambridge, UK, is comprised of pioneers from the Xen Project, the open-source virtualization platform. Unikernels are defined by the company as specialized, single-address-space machine images constructed by using library operating systems. The idea is to reduce complexity by compiling source code into a custom operating system that includes only the functionality required by the application logic.
“We are honored to have the Unikernel Systems team, with its incredible pedigree, join the Docker family,” said Solomon Hykes, founder and CTO of Docker. “Our shared vision to take transformative technology and make it accessible to a much wider audience has made the union a natural fit and it aligns with one of our core tenets to separate applications from infrastructure constraints. Through the Docker platform, unikernels will be on a ‘continuum’ with Linux and Windows containers, enabling users to create truly hybrid applications across all formats with a uniform workflow.”
“Similar to what Docker has done for Linux containers, by combining forces, we will be able to unlock the entire Docker ecosystem for use with unikernels, including orchestration and networking,” stated Anil Madhavapeddy, co-founder and CTO of Unikernel Systems. “The integration with Docker tooling will accelerate the progress of unikernels and enable users to choose how they ‘containerize’ and manage their application – from the data center to the cloud to the Internet of Things.”
