Using Singularity at Jefferson Lab

Software containers are lightweight, stand-alone, executable packages that includes everything needed to run: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, settings.

Containers are similar to virtual machines, however, the virtualization happens at a different point.

virtual_machines_vs_containers

Image source: TechTarget

Although it can be hard to give a quick answer as to which one to use, Jack Wallen at TechRepublic boils it down to the following two questions:

Do you need a full platform that can house multiple services? Go with a virtual machine.
Do you need a single service that can be clustered and deployed at scale? Go with a container.

Prerequisites

You should have a basic familiarity with Unix shell navigation.

Schedule

	Setup	Download files required for the lesson
00:00	1. Introduction	How can we replicate other operating system environments on?
00:20	2. Running the JLab CE container	How can we replicate the Jefferson Lab Common Environment on other systems?
00:35	3. Using docker containers	Why should I know about docker containers if I am using singularity?
00:55	4. Building docker containers	How do I create my own containers?
01:10	Finish

The actual schedule may vary slightly depending on the topics and exercises chosen by the instructor.