Container Images
Ben Trumbore, Steve Lantz, and Zilu Wang
Cornell Center for Advanced Computing
8/2026 (original)
To make use of the software in a container, you must first obtain an image of the container you need. This topic starts with a brief summary of the ways in which you can build a container image for yourself. But the main focus is on pre-built container images: how they are distributed through registries, and the procedures for pulling them so they can be used with Apptainer on HPC systems like Vista. Important related considerations, like managing the Apptainer cache, and getting the right architecture-specific build, are also covered.
Objectives
After you complete this topic, you should be able to:
- Define container-related terms such as base image, definition file, Dockerfile, and registry
- Interpret the parts of a URI for a container image
- Identify the registry type based on the URI prefix
- Explain the difference between Docker and SIF images
- Pull an Apptainer image from registries of various kinds
- Work with the Apptainer cache
- Describe issues that can arise due to architecture-specific builds of container images
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites.
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Cornell University
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Center for Advanced Computing
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Access Statement
CVW material development is supported by NSF OAC awards 1854828, 2321040, 2323116 (UT Austin) and 2005506 (Indiana University)
CVW material development is supported by NSF OAC awards 1854828, 2321040, 2323116 (UT Austin) and 2005506 (Indiana University)