What is a computing environment that runs above the host system, sharing its kernel and resources?

The concept of a computing environment that runs above the host system while sharing its kernel and resources aligns with the function of containers. Containers virtualize the operating system instead of the hardware, allowing multiple isolated applications to run on a single host without the overhead of spinning up multiple operating systems, as would be necessary with virtual machines.

By leveraging the host OS’s kernel, containers achieve rapid deployment and lower resource consumption, which enables efficient use of system resources. This shared execution environment facilitates fast startup times and portability across different computing environments, as the container encapsulates the application and its dependencies.

In contrast, virtual machines require a full operating system for each instance, thereby consuming more resources. A hypervisor, on the other hand, manages virtual machines rather than sharing the kernel directly. Cloud storage represents a service for storing data but does not pertain to running computing environments in the same context. Thus, containers are distinguished by their lightweight and efficient method of application deployment that shares the underlying kernel and resources of the host system.