# Bring your own image (BYOI)
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An image is a file that identifies the kernels, language packages, and other dependencies required to run your applications. It includes:
+ Programming languages (like Python or R)
+ Kernels
+ Libraries and packages
+ Other necessary software

Amazon SageMaker Distribution (`sagemaker-distribution`) is a set of Docker images that include popular frameworks and packages for machine learning, data science, and visualization. For more information, see [SageMaker Studio image support policy](sagemaker-distribution.md).

If you need different functionality, you can bring your own image (BYOI). You may want to create a custom image if:
+ You need a specific version of a programming language or library
+ You want to include custom tools or packages
+ You're working with specialized software not available in the standard images

## Key terminology
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The following section defines key terms for bringing your own image to use with SageMaker AI.
+ **Dockerfile:** A text-based document with instructions for building a Docker image. This identifies the language packages and other dependencies for your Docker image.
+ **Docker image:** A packaged set of software and dependencies built from a Dockerfile.
+ **SageMaker AI image store:** A storage of your custom images in SageMaker AI.

**Topics**
+ [Key terminology](#studio-updated-byoi-basics)
+ [Custom image specifications](studio-updated-byoi-specs.md)
+ [How to bring your own image](studio-updated-byoi-how-to.md)
+ [Launch a custom image in Studio](studio-updated-byoi-how-to-launch.md)
+ [View your custom image details](studio-updated-byoi-view-images.md)
+ [Speed up container startup with SOCI](soci-indexing.md)
+ [Detach and clean up custom image resources](studio-updated-byoi-how-to-detach-from-domain.md)