Which component of Docker is primarily responsible for orchestration and managing container lifecycles?

The Docker daemon is the core component responsible for managing containers, including orchestration and lifecycle management. It runs as a background process on the host machine, managing the containers that are created, started, stopped, and deleted. The daemon communicates with the Docker client, which is the command-line interface used by developers and administrators to interact with Docker.

In addition to managing individual containers, the Docker daemon oversees the overall state of the Docker environment, including network configurations, volumes, and images. This orchestration capability allows the daemon to efficiently handle complex operational tasks such as scaling services and maintaining system performance, making it essential for managing the lifecycle of containers effectively.

Other components like the Docker host refers to the physical or virtual machine where Docker is installed, the Docker client is the interface for users to send commands, and the Docker registry is a repository for storing and sharing container images, but none of these directly manage container lifecycles in the way that the Docker daemon does.