Advertisement
Interview Question
What is the difference between a Docker image and a Docker container?
Key Points to Cover
- Image: immutable template or snapshot
- Container: running instance of an image
- Images can have layers; containers have writable layer
Evaluation Rubric
Defines image correctly34% weight
Defines container correctly33% weight
Mentions layered/writable aspects33% weight
Hints
- 💡Image = blueprint; container = house built from it.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- ⚠️Confusing an image as a running process or a virtual machine.
- ⚠️Failing to mention the 'immutable' and 'read-only' nature of images.
- ⚠️Not explaining the concept of layers (read-only for images, writable for containers).
- ⚠️Omitting that a container is an 'instance' or 'runtime' of an image.
- ⚠️Providing overly technical or jargon-filled explanations without clarifying the core concepts for a beginner-level question.
Potential Follow-up Questions
- ❓Where are images stored locally?
- ❓How do you list running containers?
Advertisement
Related Questions
Questions that share similar topics with this one
Docker vs Virtual Machines
Beginner📞 Phone Screen•2 min•Phone
Docker Multi-stage Builds
Intermediate📞 Phone Screen•2 min•Phone
Docker Volume vs Bind Mount
Intermediate📞 Phone Screen•2 min•Phone
Kubernetes Pod Stuck in Pending
Intermediate📞 Phone Screen•2 min•Phone
Securing Container Runtimes
Advanced🔬 Technical Deep Dive•5 min•Technical