"Kubernetes is an open-source container management tool that automates container deployment, scaling, and load balancing. In other words, it is used to orchestrate containerized cloud-native microservice applications. Orchestration, in this context, means the clustering of any number of containers running on different networks. Cloud-native refers to applications designed to meet cloud demands such as auto-scaling, self-healing, rolling updates, and rollbacks. When we talk about microservices, we're referring to applications built from many independent, specialized components that work together, such as authentication, video chatting, and discussion sections. Kubernetes, often abbreviated as K8s, schedules, runs, and manages isolated containers running on virtual, physical, or cloud machines.
History of Kubernetes
Google initially developed an internal system called 'Borg' (later named 'Omega') to deploy and manage thousands of Google applications and services on their cluster, which refers to a group of nodes or containers. In 2014, Google introduced Kubernetes, an open-source platform written in 'Go' (also known as Golang), which was later donated to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).
Online platform to learn kubernetes
Kubernetes Playground
Play with K8s
Play with Kubernetes Classroom
Cloud-based K8s service
GKS: Google Kubernetes Service
AKS: Azure Kubernetes Service
Amazon EKS: Elastic Kubernetes Service
Kubernetes Installation Tools
Minikube
kuberadm
Problems Addressed by KubernetesContainer cannot communicate with each other.
Before Kubernetes, scaling up containers presented several challenges:
Containers couldn't easily communicate with each other.
Autoscaling and load balancing were not straightforward.
Containers required careful management.
Key Features of Kubernetes
Kubernetes offers a range of features, including:
Orchestration: Clustering containers running on different networks.
AutoScaling: Vertical (increasing RAM) and Horizontal (adding containers).
AutoHealing: Automatically recovering from failures.
Load Balancing: Distributing traffic evenly.
Platform Independence: Works across various environments.
Rollback: Reverting to a previous version.
Health Monitoring of Containers.
Batch Execution: Supporting on-time, sequential, and parallel processing.
Differences between Kubernetes and Docker Swarm
Kubernetes and Docker Swarm have their distinctions:
Kubernetes installations are complex and time-consuming, while Docker Swarm installations are quick and straightforward.
Kubernetes is compatible with various container types like Packer, Docker, and Containers, whereas Docker Swarm works exclusively with Docker.
Kubernetes offers a graphical user interface (GUI), whereas Docker Swarm provides only a command-line interface (CLI).
Kubernetes supports auto-scaling, while Docker Swarm does not.
Kubernetes provides built-in tools for logging and monitoring, while Docker Swarm relies on third-party tools.
Conclusion
In summary, Kubernetes addresses many challenges that previously plagued monolithic applications. It introduces the concept of microservices, which use API gateways for internal communication and offers features like auto-scaling, auto-healing, load balancing, platform independence, orchestration, and more. Stay tuned for our next blog, which will delve into the architecture of Kubernetes."