Abstract: A system and method for service management and container orchestration (SMCO) within a host environment provides a manifest builder for retrieving containers and configuration tools to generate manifest artifacts for a subsequent update (e.g., full or partial) of one or more applications running on the host environment. At runtime, if the host environment is without a network connection to an external repository, the SMCO system includes a manifest launcher for consuming manifest artifacts to load containers for installation or update of the associated applications to local container registries within the host environment as provided by the configuration tools in the manifest artifacts. Further, the manifest launcher configures the container runtime environment (CRE) and/or host operating system (OS) within the host environment according to a desired state of the application.