QNX Introduces Secure Container Development

QNX Containers offer a cutting-edge, standards-based environment for deploying, executing, and managing container technology on QNX-based devices. This innovative solution enables customers to harness the advantages of container technology while benefiting from the safety, security, and reliability inherent in the QNX microkernel architecture. By imposing restrictions on various features like networking, filesystems, device access, memory access, communications, and CPU, QNX Containers ensure the creation of highly secure and isolated embedded containers without compromising the high performance and hard real-time nature of the QNX OS 8.

Moreover, QNX Containers seamlessly coexist with the QNX Hypervisor environment, allowing users to simultaneously utilize both virtual machines and containers. Grant Courville, VP Products and Strategy at QNX, emphasized the importance of this integration, stating, "Development teams looking to incorporate containerization into their strategy should not have to compromise on their choice of RTOS. QNX Containers provide a standards-based approach to packaging applications and their dependencies, enabling them to run in a controlled and managed environment on QNX."

Compliance with the Open Container Initiative (OCI) standards, support for Kubernetes toolchains and Docker repositories, and adherence to ISO 21434 security processes are key features of QNX Containers. This design ensures that the solution is well-prepared for use in customer programs that require functional safety certification. Courville highlighted the significance of these aspects, noting, "Our collaboration with a Global OEM on its virtual cockpit using QNX Hypervisor, VirtIO, and other QNX software in the cloud exemplifies how QNX technology empowers pioneers in innovation."

With a focus on enabling customers to develop the safest, most secure, and reliable systems across various platforms, QNX Containers are poised to revolutionize the industry. The solution is expected to be available in Q4, 2024, offering a comprehensive and forward-looking approach to container technology. For more information on QNX Containers and their capabilities, visit blackberry.qnx.com.