How to Determine if Kubernetes is Suitable for Me

Kubernetes is an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling and management of containerized applications. For more, check if it fits your project.Kubernetes is an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

But before you jump in head first, it's essential to understand how Kubernetes works and whether it'll be a good fit for your organization.

This post will walk you through key points that should help decide if Kubernetes is right for you?

Why Kubernetes?

When it comes to container orchestration, Kubernetes is one of the most popular options out there.

It was initially designed by Google to manage its infrastructure and has been a significant player in the open-source community since being released back in 2014.

It's a popular option for many organizations looking to combine the agility of containers with the stability of virtual machines.

Kubernetes uses a client/server architecture that consists of five main components: API server, Kube Controller Manager, Cloud Controller Manager, Etcd Cluster, and Scheduler.

1. Kube-API Server

Acts as a frontend for the Kubernetes API and handles requests from API clients. The scalability of the Kube-API server is designed to expand horizontally. This scale happens by deploying more instances.

2. Kube-Controller Manager

Responsible for running controllers, which are processes that watch the resources of a cluster and take action when they change.

The Kube controller manager checks with the API server to ensure all actions in its control loop are valid by checking if updated objects match expected ones based on their versioned key values or labels.

3. Cloud Controller Manager

The cloud controller manager is the key to managing your Kubernetes cluster.

It abstracts resources from individual providers and maps them onto objects in our platform to offer a standardized experience for all users, no matter what service they're looking at or how many clouds there are.

4. Etcd Cluster

The etcd cluster stores all its data as a highly available replicated key-value store. All API objects are stored here, including essential items such as pod definitions, replication controller configurations, and more.

5. Scheduler

Responsible for taking pods defined in the API server and assigning them nodes where they will run within a Kubernetes cluster.

Kubernetes is extremely powerful but also highly complex when taken as a whole.

If you're new to containers or want to dip your toes into the water, there are plenty of options out there that will allow you to do so without getting overwhelmed by all its moving parts.

What are some benefits of Kubernetes?

One of the most significant benefits of using Kubernetes is scalability; since each workload runs in its isolated environment (in contrast to older monolithic applications), adding additional resources to handle increased workloads is as simple as creating a new instance that's part of the cluster.

Another benefit of using Kubernetes to manage your containerized workloads is its ease in deploying applications written in different languages—all it takes is defining what containers need to run and their mapping within the cluster.

Since most modern microservices are composed of several more minor services, having an intuitive way to manage all of these moving pieces within a single system is key.

Kubernetes makes this task easier by handling the distribution and coordination required to run such distributed applications in production.

Kubernetes will also enable your company to be future-proofed against the latest advancements in cloud technology.

Because of the level of customization offered by Kubernetes, it's easy to integrate new services as they become available and start reaping their benefits right away.

What are some downsides of using Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is complicated. It has a steep learning curve and can be difficult to configure at first.

Kubernetes provides starters, but not all providers offer this service which means you might have trouble setting up your cluster if that's what you were looking forward to.

Planned Kubernetes-based applications require careful planning because they have a different structure from non-containerized ones.

If you don't plan them correctly in advance or your code is not containerized, rebuilding the entire application from scratch might be necessary.

Another downside associated with using Kubernetes is the additional resources required, including both hardware and human capital.

Since a single system handles cluster management, it can quickly become challenging for teams who may not be familiar with working within such an environment.

Furthermore, making sure your containers are running smoothly, you'll also need people on board that understand how these systems work under the hood.

How to determine if my infrastructure can support Kubernetes?

The first step is to determine your needs.

What type of workloads will be running and how many instances you'll need.

Once you have an idea about the types of applications that will run on your cluster, think about their dependencies—do any services depend on external APIs such as cloud storage?

If so, can this service communicate with these third-party providers without issue?

Finally, it's always a good idea to test out Kubernetes locally using tools like Minikube, which allows developers to install and run all required components within a local environment; once everything looks good there, you're ready to go.

When should I use Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an excellent solution for teams or companies looking to build out their container-based infrastructure without having prior knowledge of distributed systems.

The biggest challenge with using Kubernetes is the additional resources required, including hardware and human capital, which can quickly become expensive if you're not careful.

Conclusion

Kubernetes is a powerful tool that can help your company manage containers and orchestrate microservices.

Anyhow, there are some downsides, such as the additional resources required, which may be too expensive for smaller businesses to afford without sacrificing customer service or product quality.

Suppose you think Kubernetes might be suitable for your business but need guidance on how to get started with it.

In that case, reach out to Adservio team of professionals and learn what tools and strategies would work best with this container-based infrastructure management system.