John Baker - Security Analyst Protecting Applications in Docker Containers
Container systems like Docker are gaining widespread popularity for deploying applications in isolated environments due to their simplicity and ease of replication. While containers offer advantages, software developers are keen on safeguarding and properly licensing their applications within these containerized settings. This article delves into reconciling the flexibility of using, copying, and multiplying containers with the imperative to license software correctly, highlighting how Docker can seamlessly collaborate with our solutions.
The concept of employing software within containers is not novel, as Linux has long incorporated similar functionality. Docker has democratized container solutions, making them user-friendly and accessible to a broader audience. Docker's universal adoption has solidified its status as the foremost container technology provider. Microsoft's integration of Docker's containers into Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 further elevated Docker as the de facto standard in the industry.
Advantages
Running applications in containers brings several advantages. Essentially small virtual machines (VMs) without standalone operating systems, containers share the host system's OS kernel and critical system files. This lean structure translates to cost savings, as fewer resources are required, and maintenance tasks like updates and security patches are minimized. Containers boast rapid startup times since they don't load the operating system, resources, or libraries at launch. Automated processes enable seamless scaling, contributing to the growing popularity of containers.
“Containers boast rapid startup times since they don't load the operating system, resources, or libraries at launch. Automated processes enable seamless scaling, contributing to the growing popularity of containers.”
Drawbacks and challenges
Despite these merits, potential drawbacks exist. Compared to traditional virtualization, containers may not provide the same level of isolation between each other or their host. Shared system libraries and kernel may lead to compatibility issues, and vulnerabilities or bugs in containers could impact the entire system.
How does our solution operate in this environment, and what considerations should software developers and license vendors bear in mind? Managing licenses within containers presents challenges, notably the ease of copying and binding licenses to containers. To address this, specific changes were implemented to enable multiple installations of the license server in separate containers on a single host.
Our solution usually restricts the activation and use of most software-based licenses in Docker containers, with exceptions for licenses without a hardware-specific binding and licenses explicitly approved for container use. The former serves solely for decrypting applications without any license restrictions, preventing fraud risks in multiple-container usage. The latter allows developers to designate software-based licenses for container activation.
The solution to safely distribute dockerized software
Luckliy, our versatile solutions can address a variety of use cases. In all scenarios, the container must operate in bridged mode, which is the default setting.
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Encryption only:
Activate the license within the container solely for encrypting and utilizing applications. Scalability is achievable, allowing the application to run simultaneously in multiple installations. -
Licensing on the Host:
Activate the license on the host to monitor and control the legitimate use of the application. Each container hosts a license server running in client mode, managing requests from container applications and forwarding them to the host's license server. The Docker network's server search list records the host's IP address (e.g., 172.17.0.1), ensuring permanence from the container's perspective. -
Licensing via the Network:
Similar to the previous case, this scenario differs only in the server's location. It involves a network-based license server that supplies available licenses. Within each container, a license server in client mode receives queries from container applications and forwards them to the network license server.
