Cloud-Native with Kubernetes - An Overview
Cloud technologies continue to revolutionize the world with new advancements being made with each passing day. Amid the rising fame for Cloud-Native Architecture, the launch of Kubernetes has been a remarkable move by Google Cloud.
Businesses that have realized the importance and application of Kubernetes have been able
to beat their competitors at the game, quite efficiently. In addition, Kubernetes has brought
about an overhaul in the way software is being deployed and scaled up to match
dynamic customer needs. Not surprisingly, businesses that need to engage in
open-source projects with large enterprises now turn to Kubernetes.
What is Kubernetes?
It is an open-source container-based system that empowers and automates the software
deployment process. It serves as a significant Continuous Integration and Continuous
Development channel – ensuring that delivery becomes more foolproof and timely.
A more stable version was released three months ago – June 2019.
The Launch and Initial Phase of Kubernetes
One of the greatest offerings Kubernetes brought about was the facility of application
containers in the docker. While dockers continue to rule the market, as they have for almost a decade now, the launch of Kubernetes served the icing on the cake.
The launch of Kubernetes led a wave of change in the way developers operated around
runtime issues, deployment and scalability of the applications. The quantum leap
was so huge that it altered the entire ecosystem of application building and deployment.
The origin of Kubernetes circles back to Google’s internal platform called Borg which deployed features never seen before in any other cloud system. Some of the prominent ones
included load balancing, authorization of policies and cluster-wise abstractions.
Kubernetes was launched in the year 2014 under the name Google Kubernetes Engine, also
called GKE. This launch, slowly yet successfully, removed a lot of hiccups in the software
deployment and scalability processes -- not just for Enterprises but also for several startups.
The mainstay of the breakthrough was the launch of container management space.
Some of the prominent reasons for Kubernetes’ Fame
There were several pain points and factors that together contributed to the quick absorption
of the Kubernetes Cloud Native into the markets within a few months of its launch. Some prominent ones included:
- 1. The popularity of Cloud Native in General
The digital disruption ran in parallel with the launch of cloud-native – contributing immensely
to the need for digitization as well as digitalization. Every business, regardless of the
size, began to invest in the digital transformation spree. This is where Cloud-native readily
came into the picture, and investment became mainstream. This served as a prelude
to the launch and success of Kubernetes.
- 2. The Rising Popularity of Open Source
After a new software technology or practice gains stability developers gain confidence
and soon become more accustomed to its usage. Soon after, the success stories begin to propagate, and these same developers become evangelists of the system. This is something that worked well for Kubernetes. The rising acceptability of open source platforms in the software industry overall did the pre-marketing for Kubernetes, in disguise.
Kubernetes brought tremendous opportunities for the developer community too,
challenging their existing cocoon of frameworks and development practices. It led to a
disruption in their comfortable and archaic system of coding, while acting as a robust training
and development channel for new ones joining the league.
Kubernetes was not just innovation or a method introduced for the betterment of customers
or coders. It gave way to the formation of an entire community or, rather, a fraternity of
developers who continue to preach about it.
Some Effective Use Cases
- Kubernetes has a proven track record of supporting applications that involve the
management of multiple containers. This adds to the efficiency of the developers in
minimizing risks of failure during runtime.
- Scalability turns out to be a huge advantage with this cloud native, especially for systems
such an eCommerce where you see new sign-ups every day.
- This Native can effectively cut down on server issues as it serves as a replacement
of the docker. Or rather, it overcomes issues such as overload or load balancing,
discovery error, and frequent upgrading.
How Containerization Helps
This process has proven to be one of the most cost-effective and time-saving techniques for
businesses of all scales.
Portability
The containers are isolated and hence, can be moved anywhere easily. You can send a
faster response to customers when needed.
Convenience and Costs
It brings down operational costs effectively using existing networks and never compromising
on the operating systems. Containers are essentially non-complex and hence lightweight.
Modularity
Instant scaling is a possibility here. You can manage spurts of traffic on a website, for
instance. It also allows resource utilization by allowing the formation of isolated packages.
Support
Owing to its rich feature set, this native never falls short of its support for users. They are
always loaded with options to choose from, depending upon the need. It is flexible and
customizable. It has over 2000 Github contributors at present.
Read More Here:
Learn Kubernetes Basics
Pros and Cons of Kubernetes
Kubernetes Advantages and Use Cases
Kubernetes: An Overview
Kubernetes: Scheduling the Future at Cloud Scale
2019 Kubernetes E-Book
In Summery
Some of the greatest advantages of Kubernetes include its production-ready nature, iteration-friendliness, and persistent storage, etc. It doesn’t only make the lives of engineers more simplified and breathable, but helps build high-performing software. It has the additional advantage of also managing the underlying cloud resources automatically.
However, from a business perspective, you might still have to reorganize your existing
applications quite a lot to fully leverage Kubernetes. Also, it often involves manual effort in
the initial stage, despite the promise of automation.
Overall, however, it serves a customer's velocity, accuracy, and agility in software production.
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