A Docker container operating method, comprising: generating, based on a virtual machine technology, a virtual machine image corresponding to a to-be-executed application, and storing the virtual machine image in a virtual machine image storage area; receiving an execution command used to instruct to operate a Docker container corresponding to the to-be-executed application, wherein the execution command comprises an identifier of the to-be-executed application; obtaining, from the virtual machine image storage area according to the identifier of the to-be-executed application that is comprised in the execution command, the virtual machine image corresponding to the identifier of the to-be-executed application; invoking a virtual machine image driver, and reading, from all layer data in the virtual machine image by using the invoked virtual machine image driver, metadata information of the virtual machine image and layer data corresponding to the Docker container, wherein the layer data corresponding to the Docker container is layer data required for operating the Docker container corresponding to the to-be-executed application, wherein the layer data corresponding to the Docker container comprises: layer data in all the layer data in the virtual machine image except a kernel file, a file in a system directory, and a file in a root (boot) directory; generating, according to the read layer data corresponding to the Docker container, a snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container, wherein the snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container comprises a snapshot of the layer data corresponding to the Docker container, wherein the snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container is a readable and writable layer file; mounting the snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container to a working directory, and performing environment configuration according to the read metadata information of the virtual machine image, wherein the working directory is a root directory of the Docker container; and operating the snapshot layer file that is mounted to the working directory and that corresponds to the Docker container, to operate the Docker container corresponding to the to-be-executed application. generating, based on a virtual machine technology, a virtual machine image corresponding to a to-be-executed application, and storing the virtual machine image in a virtual machine image storage area; receiving an execution command used to instruct to operate a Docker container corresponding to the to-be-executed application, wherein the execution command comprises an identifier of the to-be-executed application; obtaining, from the virtual machine image storage area according to the identifier of the to-be-executed application that is comprised in the execution command, the virtual machine image corresponding to the identifier of the to-be-executed application; invoking a virtual machine image driver, and reading, from all layer data in the virtual machine image by using the invoked virtual machine image driver, metadata information of the virtual machine image and layer data corresponding to the Docker container, wherein the layer data corresponding to the Docker container is layer data required for operating the Docker container corresponding to the to-be-executed application, wherein the layer data corresponding to the Docker container comprises: layer data in all the layer data in the virtual machine image except a kernel file, a file in a system directory, and a file in a root (boot) directory; generating, according to the read layer data corresponding to the Docker container, a snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container, wherein the snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container comprises a snapshot of the layer data corresponding to the Docker container, wherein the snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container is a readable and writable layer file; mounting the snapshot layer file corresponding to the Docker container to a working directory, and performing environment configuration according to the read metadata information of the virtual machine image, wherein the working directory is a root directory of the Docker container; and operating the snapshot layer file that is mounted to the working directory and that corresponds to the Docker container, to operate the Docker container corresponding to the to-be-executed application.