A container is an encapsulated process that includes the required runtime dependencies for an application to run.

OpenShift uses Kubernetes to manage pods. Pods consist of one or more containers that share resources, such as selected namespaces and networking, and represent a single application.

Container images can create container instances, which are executable versions of the image, and include references to networking, disks, and other runtime necessities.

Container image registries, such as Quay.io and the Red Hat Container Catalog, are the preferred way to distribute container images to many users and hosts.

The oc image command and Skopeo, among other tools, can inspect and manage container images.

Containers are immutable and ephemeral. Thus, updating a running container is best reserved for troubleshooting problematic containers.