Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam

Which Docker network driver creates a connection between container interfaces and the host interface?

1. Bridge

2. Overlay

3. MACVLAN

4. Host

The correct answer is: MACVLAN

The correct answer is MACVLAN. This driver is specifically designed to enable communication between Docker containers and the host system by allowing containers to have their own unique MAC addresses. By assigning a MAC address from the local network, MACVLAN allows containers to appear as if they are directly connected to the physical network, enabling them to send and receive traffic directly from the host's network interface. This is particularly useful in scenarios where network performance is critical, as it can reduce latency and eliminate the overhead typically associated with other network drivers. MACVLAN is ideal for cases that require direct access to external network services and for applications that need to reach and interact with other devices on the same LAN. In contrast, other drivers like Bridge create an isolated network for containers, Overlay is mainly used for communication across multiple hosts, and Host directly shares the host's network stack, but without exposing unique MAC addresses to the local network. Thus, while these other options serve specific networking needs, they do not create the same level of direct connection between container interfaces and the host interface as the MACVLAN driver does.