ITGSS Certified DevOps Engineer Practice Test

Which component do container runtimes typically call to interact with hardware?

1. host memory

2. host CPU

3. host kernel

4. host storage

The correct answer is: host kernel

Container runtimes interact with the host kernel to perform operations related to process management, memory management, and managing input/output operations. The host kernel acts as an intermediary between the containerized applications and the underlying hardware, providing necessary abstractions and allowing for resource sharing and allocation. By utilizing namespaces and cgroups (control groups), the kernel enables the isolation and management of resources dedicated to each container, ensuring efficient operation and security. The other components, while essential for the overall functioning of a system, do not represent the primary interface through which container runtimes access and control system resources. For instance, host memory refers to the physical RAM available, host CPU pertains to the processing units, and host storage represents the data storage capabilities. These resources are indeed managed by the kernel, but it is the kernel that directly facilitates interactions and resource management for the containers.