A Method for Taking Snapshots of Host Environment Using Containerization Technology

Sometimes we want to perform temporary work without changing the computer environment. To accomplish that, we could take a backup of the file system, and roll it back after completion of the work. Another option is virtualization. We can use a disposable virtual machine for this purpose. However, these methods are high-cost solutions because they require a lot of storage and latency time. Thus, we propose a method for taking snapshots of the host environments using containerization technology. This method uses OverlayFS, a copy-on-write file system, for preserving the host’s file system and Linux namespace, a function of Linux kernel, for preserving computer resources. This is expected to start up faster and use lower resources than backup and virtualization. We also implement the proposed method in our container management tool and show actual command-line operations used to meet the requirements.