What is CNAB?

Cloud infrastructure management can be complex and requires multiple tools and credentials, a challenge that the Cloud Native Application Bundle (CNAB) specification aims to simplify. CNAB bundles all necessary components, such as Docker images, into a single deployable artifact, addressing issues like credential management, offline installations, and versioned installers. The blog post highlights the use of CNAB, particularly through the Duffle project, which serves as a reference implementation of the specification. While CNAB offers a streamlined process for creating self-contained installers, the tools supporting this specification, such as Duffle, Porter, and Docker App, are still in early development stages, resulting in potential challenges and manual installation processes for users. Despite these challenges, CNAB bundles provide a convenient solution for automating complex deployments, making them appealing for developers and DevOps professionals looking to simplify their workflows.