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A container registry is a single, centralized location for storing and managing Docker images and artifacts in private repositories. They allow IT teams to perform various operations from vulnerability analysis to container access control.
Container registries are a part of a complete container automation process, allowing for a quick and efficient feedback loop.
Continue reading to learn more about the global container registry market.
Container Registry Market
The container registry market is a segment of the global application container market, which was estimated to be valued at $1.5 billion in 2020. It’s projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% over the analysis period from 2020 to 2027, reaching $9.7 billion by the end of it.
Regionally, the application container and registry market is segmented as follows:
- The U.S. market was estimated at $464.3 million in 2020, with a 30.9% share
- The Chinese market is forecast for a CAGR of 29.3%, reaching $1.7 billion by 2027
- Japan and Canada are forecast to grow at a CAGR of 27% and 25.9% over the forecast period
- Within Europe, Germany is projected to maintain one of the highest CAGRs at 21.2%
By industry, demand is being led by users in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector.
Other notable industries driving demand include:
- Health care and life sciences
- IT
- Telecommunications
- Government and defense
- Energy and utility
- Manufacturing
- Education
- Media and entertainment
Container Registry Features
The versatility of container registries enables them to be used either as support for containerized application development or as part of DevOps. In some cases, registries can be connected directly to orchestration platforms, such as Kubernetes and Docker.
Depending on their location in the cloud, there are two are often types of container registry solutions:
Public Container Registry
Public container registries are often preferred by individual developers or small teams in startups and businesses. It enables them to start optimizing the registry and development of containerized applications from the early stages of software design.
However, public registries aren’t recommended for larger corporations. The structure could present complex security, privacy, and access control issues in the long run.
There are various public container registry solutions that are free to use as part of open-source containerization projects.
Private Container Registry
Private container registries allow developers to begin the introduction of security and privacy practices into container image storage from the early stages.
Whether it’s hosted on-premises or accessed remotely, private registry solutions tend to come with advanced security features and access to technical support, making them more suitable for larger projects.
The majority of the proprietary container registry solutions on the market are private registries.
Some of the most common features to look for in a a private container registry solution include:
1. Container Tags
Adding, removing, and adjusting container image tags allows for better access and easier sorting of containers, especially in large numbers.
2. Automatic Building
Automated builds can be triggered based on set criteria, creating a list of branches and tags according to changes in the container registry.
3. Vulnerability Scans
Scan containers for vulnerabilities and exploits before packages are released or connected to the rest of the container network.
4. Logging and Monitoring
Constantly recording container activity can be essential to passing audits and meeting security and privacy regulations, by enabling a company to trace network activity back to a specific user or container.
5. Built-in Authentication
Having support for multiple authentication systems widens the range of security and privacy capabilities, depending on the data contents of individual containers and their sensitivity.
Industry-Specific Solutions
A container registry is a critical piece for companies using containerized applications in cloud-native environments and projects. It speeds up the development process and reduces the burden on the IT staff by enabling them to comply with security software components.
By using a registry, a company establishes the necessary technical foundation for efficient and effective software development. As container registries are becoming more widely used, industry-specific container registry solutions are also being adopted.
“A platform for cross-industry collaboration amongst developers and even market competitors to help some industry and even society level challenges, such as COVID-19,” according to a post at Anchore Enterprise, a software supply chain management platform.
“More corporate and government program-level container registries are a natural launchpad for more of an industry-level container registry, as alliances and partnerships find the need to connect with developers outside their normal sphere of influence.”
Benefits
As an essential tool for creating and managing large amounts of containerized applications and systems, there are numerous benefits that come with using a reliable container registry solution, such as:
- Saving developers time
- Automating container development
- Simplifying team collaboration
- Securing docker images
- Easy to interact with registry UI
- Providing insights into the roots of issues
- Reliable container deployment
- A single registry for Windows and Linux containers
Use Cases
Container registry solutions, public and private, are used by organizations in different industries:
Jahez
Jahez is one of the leading food delivery services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It serves over three million users, processing over 20 million delivery orders every year across the country.
Jahez’s IT infrastructure was built from scratch on AWS, allowing it access to the various Amazon tools and resources. It also allowed it to operate during the numerous COVID-19 lockdowns.
Further exploring application development, Jahez was looking into containerized deployment, using Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Services and Amazon Elastic Container Registry for its Docker containers.
“We make sure that we’re connecting the merchant and restaurant with the client and with the driver. All of these three elements have to be transferred between the systems,” says Ghassab AlMandeel, CEO, Jahez.
“AWS enables us to expand when and where we need to. From a technical perspective, we are confident. And from a business perspective, we have that ability to move.”
Working with AWS, Jahez was able to optimize costs, achieve agility in performance, and acquire the ability to scale operations based on local market demand.
GoCardless
Lonodn-based GoCardless is a financial services platform that simplifies the process of setting up and collecting direct debit recurring payments. GoCardless services are suitable for business and consumer invoices, subscriptions, and recurring fees.
Working on small-scale payments meant that GoCardless needed to have its system running and accessible to merchants at all times, including the weekends. Looking to improve the platform’s flexibility and accelerate its security systems, GoCardless used Google Cloud and application containerization.
“We run our apps on [Google Kubernetes Engine] GKE and host our database on Google Compute Engine,” says Norberto Lopes, senior manager, infrastructure and systems engineering, GoCardless.
“Using GKE with Container Registry has removed a lot of the operational burden and our development cycle from idea to deployment is also faster, as anyone can set up an app with a simple configuration, without the involvement of the site reliability engineering team.”
Switching to Google services, GoCardless cut infrastructure costs by 25%, reduced the operational burden with Google Container Registry, sped up application deployment, and simplified the implementation of security procedures.
WeShine Tech
WeShine Tech is one of India’s leading university examination process automation services. WeShine Tech’s main product, UniApps, is operated by more than 20 universities to help manage the student life cycle, from start to finish.
WeShine Tech needed to accommodate the higher education institutions looking for distance learning and examination solutions.
Migrating containers from on-premises to cloud-native on the AWS cloud, WeShine Tech could handle over 350,000 concurrent online exams daily, compared to the 1,000 exams previously. To achieve this, it used Amazon Elastic Container Services (ECS) and Amazon Elastic Container Registry for automating and scaling Docker containers.
“Since migrating to AWS, we’ve been able to deliver a seamless user experience with no interruptions,” says Anupam Mangudkar, CEO, WeShine Tech.
Working with AWS, WeShine Tech achieved a latency of 500 ms during online exams, integrated its apps with Zoom, and was able to develop and deploy an identity verification feature in one week.
Container Registry Providers
Some of the leading providers of container registry services and solutions in the market include:
- AWS
- Microsoft
- Red Hat
- Docker
- VMware
- JFrog
- IBM
- Alibaba
- Oracle
