https://igortkanov.com/computers/unikernel/Recent content in Unikernel on {IT}Hugoen-usCopyright © 2026 {IT}. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise stated, all text, images, diagrams, and other original content on this blog may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without prior written permission.Wed, 15 Oct 2025 05:12:00 +0000https://igortkanov.com/unikernels-without-the-marketing/Wed, 15 Oct 2025 05:12:00 +0000https://igortkanov.com/unikernels-without-the-marketing/<h2 id="tldr">TL;DR</h2> <p>A <em>unikernel</em> is your app compiled together with only the OS pieces it really needs, producing a tiny binary that boots inside a microVM (e.g., <strong><a href="https://firecracker-microvm.github.io" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Firecracker</a></strong>/<strong><a href="https://linux-kvm.org/page/Main_Page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KVM</a></strong>).</p> <p><strong>Result</strong>: fast starts, small footprint, and stronger isolation than containers, at the cost of trickier tooling and ops around it.</p> <hr> <p>When I saw <strong><a href="https://www.prisma.io" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prisma</a></strong> put &ldquo;serverless&rdquo; and &ldquo;no cold starts&rdquo; <strong><a href="https://www.prisma.io/blog/announcing-prisma-postgres-early-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in the same breath</a></strong> for Prisma Postgres, my Lambda scars tingled 😄</p>