Chapter 1. Overview
1.1. Introduction
OpenShift Container Platform brings together Docker and Kubernetes, and provides an API to manage these services. OpenShift Container Platform allows you to create and manage containers.
1.1.1. Why Should I Use OpenShift?
Containers are standalone processes that run within their own environment, independent of operating system and the underlying infrastructure. OpenShift helps you to develop, deploy, and manage container-based applications. It provides you with a self-service platform to create, modify, and deploy applications on demand, thus enabling faster development and release life cycles.
Think of images as cookie cutters and containers as the actual cookies.
Think of OpenShift as an operating system, images as applications that you run on them, and the containers as the actual running instances of those applications.
If you already have OpenShift Container Platform installed, find the appropriate topic based on your role to get started:
| I am a… | Links to relevant topics |
|---|---|
| Platform administrator | Install basic OpenShift Container Platform environment or Install production OpenShift Container Platform environment |
| Developer | Step through the basics of how to Create and Build an Image Using the Web Console and create your first project and application. |
