Container chaining for automated process completion

A method obtains a configuration for an automated process that includes discrete tasks. The configuration specifies a corresponding container image, of a plurality of different container images, for each discrete task of the discrete tasks, and further specifies a sequence in which to instantiate a plurality of containers from the plurality of container images to perform the discrete tasks and complete the automated process. The method identifies from the configuration a next container image from which to instantiate a next container for execution to perform a next discrete task, the next discrete task corresponding to the next container image and next container instantiated from the next container image. The method initiates instantiation of the next container from the next container image to initiate execution of the container to perform the next discrete task. The method also repeats the identifying and the initiating instantiation for each next container image.