Application platforms provide runtime environments for application logic. They manage the life cycle of an application or application component, and ensure the availability, reliability, scalability, security and monitoring of application logic. They typically support distributed application deployments across multiple nodes. Some also support cloud-style operations (elasticity, multitenancy and self-service).
Gartner defines container management as offerings that support the deployment and operation of containerized workloads. It uses a combination of technologies (many open source) that enable agile application deployments and infrastructure modernization. Delivery methods include stand-alone software or as a service. Container management automates the provisioning, operation and life cycle management of containerized workloads at scale. Centralized governance and security policies are used to manage container workloads and associated resources. Container management supports the requirements of modern applications (also refactoring legacy applications), including platform engineering, cloud management and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. Benefits include improved agility, elasticity and access to innovation.
Server virtualization includes a range of technologies that abstract an underlying infrastructure layer (networking, storage and compute [including memory]). In doing so, it improves hardware utilization, workload portability, automation and availability. Server virtualization is most often associated with hypervisor-based server workloads running in data center environments on industry-standard servers. In reality, server virtualization incorporates multiple technologies, spans locations from public cloud to edge, and supports initiatives for both cloud-native transformation and infrastructure modernization. It includes hardware-, cloud- and software-based technologies.