Microsoft introduces Cloud Native Application Bundle (CNAB)

Deis Labs have published the specification of the new Cloud Native Application Bundle (CNAB) format. Its purpose is to help bundling, installing and managing container-native apps and their respective services.

Applications specified through CNAB will be cloud-agnostic and secured through the use of cryptographic signatures. CNAB is supposed to ease the distribution of complex cloud applications, also through offline media.

CNAB is accompanied by a new commandline tool called Duffle that helps users pack and unpack bundled applications.

Deis Labs, who have created the eponymous PaaS software, was acquired by Microsoft in 2017. Partners in supporting and promoting the CNAB spec are Docker Inc., HashiCorp and Bitnami.