Linux Containers (LXC) have relatively minimal performance overheads compared to other virtualization technologies because they leverage the existing Linux kernel functionality rather than emulating a whole operating system. However, like any tool, there are some overheads and potential drawbacks:
1. Kernel Sharing: All containers within a host share the same underlying kernel. So, the potential risk is that if a process within a container somehow managed to break out of the container and gain full privileges, it could potentially impact the kernel and, therefore, all other containers on the same host.
1. Resource Management: If not managed correctly, a single container could potentially consume an unfair share of the system’s resources which could slow down the host or other containers.
1. Storage Overhead: Every container might have its own set of libraries and bins, increasing the amount of storage used.
1. Networking Overhead: By default, containers often use the host’s network, which could entail some network performance overhead.
1. Isolation Overhead: Though LXC improves the process isolation by utilizing Linux kernels cgroups and namespaces, the isolation is not as strong as VM-based approaches leading to potential security risks.
1. Management Overhead: Management of containers can become complex, especially at a large scale.
Remember, your specific implementation and usage of LXC might mitigate or exacerbate these potential overheads. It’s important to monitor the performance of a system on an ongoing basis to identify and address any potential issues.
