A comparative analysis of virtual machines and containers using queuing models

Abstract

Virtual machines (VMs) and containers are two prevalent technologies in cloud computing, each offering distinct advantages depending on the use case. VMs emulate entire operating systems, including kernels, while containers share the host OS kernel, making them lightweight and resource-efficient. This paper presents a novel method for comparing the performance of VMs and containers using queuing models. The proposed method not only provides a more accurate and flexible comparison but also significantly reduces the time required to calculate and perform performance metrics compared to traditional empirical benchmarking and simulation-based approaches. Through this comparison, the paper highlights the conditions under which containers outperform VMs, particularly in modern, cloud-native environments.