How is a container different from a virtual machine, and what does an immutable container deployment change about operating a .NET API?

Containers versus virtual machines and immutable deployments

Explains process isolation, shared kernels, image-based deployment, and where containers differ operationally from virtual machines.

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A virtual machine includes a guest operating system and virtualized hardware, while containers on one host share the host kernel and isolate processes, filesystems, and networking. Containers usually start faster and use fewer resources, but their isolation boundary is different. I build one image and promote that same artifact, supplying environment-specific configuration at runtime instead of modifying the running filesystem.

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Processes, kernels, isolation, images, startup, density, immutable replacement, configuration, and state ownership.

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A container is an isolated process packaged with its application dependencies, not a smaller virtual machine. That distinction changes its security boundary and how it should be deployed and replaced.
A virtual machine includes a guest operating system and virtualized hardware, while containers on one host share the host kernel and isolate processes, filesystems, and networking. Containers usually start faster and use fewer resources, but their isolation boundary is different. I build one image and promote that same artifact, supplying environment-specific configuration at runtime instead of modifying the running filesystem.
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Immutable deployment means I replace a container with a new image rather than patching application files inside it. Instances should be disposable: logs leave through standard output, durable data lives in an external store or deliberate volume, and readiness determines when traffic can arrive. This makes rollback and horizontal scaling more predictable because every replica starts from the same versioned artifact. A VM can also be operated immutably, but containers make that workflow the common default.

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Calling a container a lightweight VM.
Editing files inside a running production container.
Writing durable business data to the container filesystem.
Assuming an image includes its own kernel.

How is a container different from a virtual machine, and what does an immutable container deployment change about operating a .NET API?

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