Docker launches Universal Control Plane for running containers on any infrastructure

Docker, the startup that has propelled the movement of packaging up application code into containers instead of more traditional virtual machines, is announcing today the launch of new software for running and managing containers on big companies’ existing infrastructure.

The new Docker Universal Control Plane tool is meant to be run in companies’ on-premises data centers, but that’s not to say that it can’t support public cloud environments. And it can work with bare metal servers as well as servers running virtualization software that can handle virtual machines.

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Developers can deploy applications in containers with the new tool, while operations people can use it to determine which data center infrastructure gets used.

If I’m counting right, this is the second release of on-premises software from Docker, which now reportedly carries a billion-dollar valuation. Earlier in the year, Docker released the Docker Trusted Registry for storing prized container images. This is the next important step in commercialization for Docker, the company, whose reputation has been more closely associated with the Docker open-source project than big-time revenue.

In the meantime, other container companies are gaining momentum, including CoreOS and Mesosphere.

Technology from Tutum is integrated into the new Universal Control Plane software, following Docker’s acquisition of that startup last month. The new software supports LDAP, Microsoft Active Directory, and role-based access control.

The tool is out now in public beta. It’s available from Docker, IBM, and Docker’s reseller partners, according to a statement.