What do Application Containers encapsulate?

Application containers encapsulate both the application binaries and the hardware requirements necessary for the application to run. This means that everything needed to execute the application is bundled together, including the code, runtime environment, libraries, and any additional binaries. This encapsulation allows the application to be portable and run consistently across different environments, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.

By including hardware requirements, application containers can ensure that they operate effectively on various platforms, addressing discrepancies in system configurations and dependencies that could lead to compatibility issues. This approach enhances deployment efficiency, as developers can be confident that the application will function as intended on any system that supports the containerization technology being used.

The other options do not fully capture the comprehensive nature of what application containers provide, as they either focus on just one element or fail to acknowledge the complete environment needed for the application to function properly.