A system for stateful containers in a distributed computing environment that includes a server cluster having a plurality of computing nodes communicatively connected via a network. Each computing node within the server cluster includes one or more virtual hosts, one or more containers operating on top of each virtual host and an application instantiation, operating on top of a container, communicatively coupled to a persistent storage medium. Each virtual host instantiates, and is tied to, a unique virtual internet protocol address that is linked to the persistent storage medium on which resides the application state data.