What advantage does containerization have over traditional virtualization methods?

Containerization is advantageous over traditional virtualization methods primarily because it typically requires less storage and processing power. Containers share the host operating system's kernel, which enables multiple containers to run isolated from one another while using the same OS instance. This efficient resource utilization means that containers can be more lightweight compared to virtual machines (VMs), which need to run their operating systems and therefore consume more resources in terms of storage and processing power.

The other aspects can play a role but are generally more nuanced. For instance, while easier management of virtual networks is a consideration, container orchestration tools handle networking complexity rather than traditional methods of virtualization enabling network management. Similarly, applications running in containers can exhibit improved performance due to reduced overhead, but this is often situational and dependent on optimization rather than a universal advantage. Direct hardware access is not typically a feature of containerization, as containers abstract hardware in a way that allows them to run on any compliant infrastructure without dealing directly with hardware resources. Thus, the most straightforward and universal advantage of containerization is its reduced demand for resources compared to traditional virtualization methods.