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Why is OverlayFS used as Docker’s storage backend on Linux?

Mid Docker
Quick Answer OverlayFS is a union filesystem that stacks layers on top of each other รขโ‚ฌโ€ perfect for Docker's layered image model. The lower directory (image layers) is read-only; the upper directory (container layer) is writable. Reads check upper first, then lower. OverlayFS is fast, well-supported in the Linux kernel, and Docker's default storage driver on most systems.

Answer

OverlayFS merges read-only image layers with a writable upper layer, reducing duplication and speeding up container creation.
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