Kubernetes is one of the most popular and robust containerization technologies available. An open-source solution, it makes it easier to deploy, scale, and manage applications. With Kubernetes, developers can worry less about managing services within virtual machines. Organizations can build more complex and larger networks, without having to worry about adequately scaling their administrative resources.
Here’s what you need to know about the Kubernetes monitoring solution.
What is Kubernetes?
Maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), Kubernetes was first developed by Google. It is an orchestration system for Docker, which isolates applications within containers to make it easier for them to be managed and troubleshoot. Through Kubernetes, Dockerized applications can be managed through multiple virtual machines. Deploying and scaling containerized applications is far simpler through Kubernetes.
Those are the Kubernetes basics. But deploying and administering it can be complex. Many organizations find themselves working with a managed services provider when working with the cloud or with containerization. This is especially true if the organization has a hybrid network or an otherwise complex network.
What Can You Do With Kubernetes?
Kubernetes makes it easier to manage workloads over complex infrastructures. Applications are held within dockerized containers, and these applications are held within virtual machines. Each application is given its own virtualized environment in which to run, which reduces the chances for cross-interference, making it easier for each individual application to be separately managed. The more complex the infrastructure is, the more valuable Kubernetes is. But Kubernetes can be proactively installed in networks with comparatively low complexity to protect the organization’s scalability, too.
Who Uses Kubernetes?
Kubernetes has been in use for over a decade. About 87 percent of organizations are currently using containerization technologies, and about 86 percent of organizations are using Kubernetes. Adoption has been growing. The majority of companies are using Kubernetes for on-premise services, but some are also using it for the cloud.44 percent self-manage their instances of Kubernetes, and 12 percent use managed services provided through Google.
So, in terms of who uses Kubernetes, more companies are adopting it by the day. If a company is using containerization at all, it is likely to be using Kubernetes.
Kubernetes Basics
The basics of Kubernetes include the ability to deploy a cluster, scale the cluster, update containerized applications, and debug containerized applications. Kubernetes can be used on its own, through self-management, or through other managed services such as those provided by Google or AWS. Creating a cluster and deploying an app is a straightforward process, and Kubernetes itself has a number of interactive walk-throughs provided to help developers through the system.
Kubernetes Best Practices
Kubernetes administration can appear to be complex — this is one of the major benefits of working with a Kubernetes partner or MSP. But by following best practices, organizations can reap the benefits of Kubernetes without experiencing too significant an administrative load. Best practices to Kubernetes include:
- Use Kubernetes namespaces. This provides for better security and organization. Kubernetes namespaces divide usage between users. thereby making it easier to manage, and reducing the amount of resource and security administration needed.
- Keep control through requests and limits. You’ll be able to keep control over your resources better by providing limits. Otherwise, applications and clusters may cause system instability and unpredictable times.
- Discover services outside the cluster. The network has to operate as a whole; Kubernetes has built-in discovery for external services just as with internal services. Kubernetes is better able to manage itself if it’s able to manage services inside and out.
- Use readiness and live probes for health checks. Make sure that app instances are working as they should, and deploy alerts when they aren’t.
When properly used, Kubernetes makes the infrastructure as a whole easier to manage and easier to scale. It improves stability, security, and consistency. This is why it’s rapidly becoming an industry standard, especially among developers running highly complex networks. As a Google technology, it’s also able to integrate seamlessly with other Google Cloud Services — and it can be deployed on the Google Cloud on-premise and hybrid solutions.