Running Apps Without Managing Virtual Machines
Traditional VMs require continuous patching, kernel updates, and manual resizing. Serverless Containers (like Google Cloud Run or AWS Fargate) allow you to supply a raw Docker container and run it in the cloud. The underlying platform handles provisioning, patching, scaling, and load balancing automatically.
Scale-to-Zero: Platforms can scale running containers down to 0 instances when there is no traffic, saving money. When a new request arrives, it spins up a new instance, which causes a brief delay known as a "cold-start".