Kubernetes
Container orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications at scale, becoming the de facto standard for cloud native.
seed#kubernetes#k8s#containers#orchestration#cncf#cloud-native
What it is
Kubernetes (K8s) is a container orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and operation of containerized applications. Originated at Google and now maintained by CNCF, it's the de facto standard for cloud native.
Key concepts
| Resource | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pod | Minimum deployment unit (one or more containers) | Pod with app + logging sidecar |
| Deployment | Manages pod replicas with rolling updates | 3 replicas of an API server |
| Service | Exposes pods with stable IP and load balancing | ClusterIP, LoadBalancer, NodePort |
| Ingress | External HTTP/HTTPS routing | Routes by domain or path |
| ConfigMap/Secret | Externalized configuration and secrets | Environment variables, certificates |
| Namespace | Logical resource isolation | production, staging, dev |
Kubernetes vs ECS
| Aspect | Kubernetes | ECS |
|---|---|---|
| Portability | Multi-cloud | AWS only |
| Complexity | High | Lower |
| Ecosystem | Huge (CNCF) | AWS tools |
| Cost | Control plane fee | No fee |
When to use Kubernetes
- You need multi-cloud portability
- You have a team with K8s experience
- You require the CNCF ecosystem (service mesh, GitOps)
- Complex workloads with many microservices
Managed Kubernetes
- EKS (AWS)
- GKE (Google Cloud)
- AKS (Azure)
Why it matters
Kubernetes is the de facto standard for container orchestration. Its declarative model, self-healing, and automatic scaling make it indispensable for complex workloads. But its operational complexity is real — not everything needs Kubernetes.
References
- Kubernetes Documentation — Official documentation.
- Kubernetes Patterns — Design patterns.
- Kubernetes Documentation — Kubernetes, 2024. Official documentation.