White Paper: Getting Started With Kubernetes

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Frequently Asked Questions about Kubernetes, Lagoon, and Managed Hosting Services by amazee.io

Interested in containerized hosting and the benefits of Kubernetes, but not sure where to start? We’ve compiled a list of FAQs to guide you.

About Kubernetes

  1. What is Kubernetes?
    Kubernetes is an open-source orchestration and management platform that automates container operations for software teams of all sizes. Kubernetes ensures that your applications in cloud environments run consistently by automating operations such as deploying, scaling, and managing containers or clusters. Applications can range from big data processing to content management systems. Essentially, Kubernetes helps you to efficiently manage your containers by getting rid of much of the manual work required to deploy and scale applications via containers. 

  2. What makes Kubernetes so important?
    With Kubernetes you get a system that can manage containers in a way that ensures your applications stay running with no downtime. With the automation of operations, the increased efficiency allows for applications to be brought to market much faster. Tasks such as upgrading software, installing software, implementing security patches, and scaling are all simplified so your applications can continue to run smoothly.

  3. Why should I be using Kubernetes?
    If you’re a developer, Kubernetes makes your life much easier. It not only supports traditional APIs but also delivers APIs that are necessary nowadays to build applications. With this, you can focus on making sure the application is functioning properly rather than focusing on the tedious management of the application. Kubernetes also offers the ability to move from a local machine to production without ever breaking. 

    If you’re a manager, Kubernetes also makes your life much easier. With Kubernetes a lot of the tiresome and monotonous operation tasks are automated. There are no server outages to worry about as applications are continuously running smoothly at scale. Kubernetes can offer a more streamlined process for your developers so that the team can run like a well-oiled machine. 

  4. What are the main benefits of Kubernetes?
    The benefits seem almost endless, but here’s a breakdown of some of the key benefits provided from the Kubernetes documentation:

    - Service discovery and load balancing: Kubernetes can expose a container using the DNS name or using their own IP address. If traffic to a container is high, Kubernetes is able to load balance and distribute the network traffic so that the deployment is stable.

    - Storage orchestration: Kubernetes allows you to automatically mount a storage system of your choice, such as local storages, public cloud providers, and more.

    - Automated rollouts and rollbacks: You can describe the desired state for your deployed containers using Kubernetes, and it can change the actual state to the desired state at a controlled rate. For example, you can automate Kubernetes to create new containers for your deployment, remove existing containers and adopt all their resources to the new container.

    - Automatic bin packing: You provide Kubernetes with a cluster of nodes that it can use to run containerized tasks. You tell Kubernetes how much CPU and memory (RAM) each container needs. Kubernetes can fit containers onto your nodes to make the best use of your resources.

    - Self-healing: Kubernetes restarts containers that fail, replaces containers, kills containers that don’t respond to your user-defined health check, and doesn’t advertise them to clients until they are ready to serve.

    - Secret and configuration management: Kubernetes lets you store and manage sensitive information, such as passwords, OAuth tokens, and SSH keys. You can deploy and update secrets and application configuration without rebuilding your container images, and without exposing secrets in your stack configuration.

  5. Can I run Kubernetes on my own?
    Technically yes, you could, but here are some things you should consider before taking that on. Let’s start with deployment time. Whether your infrastructure is on-premises or in the cloud, it can get difficult for large enterprises to deploy through an infrastructure base that is diverse and in different locations. Besides infrastructure concerns, Kubernetes has a very steep learning curve. It takes a specific expertise to configure the installation to fit the needs of your unique company, and that process can not only be time-consuming but also more expensive. 

    Another consideration is the lack of resources for troubleshooting any issues along the way. There are no easy fixes or solutions. With the nature of the technology, developers need to act promptly to correct any issues. However, due to almost every situation being unique, the team will often find themselves spending a significant amount of time trying to find different resources to give them a solution. So it can be challenging to handle this while also managing the everyday operations.

    Last but not least, there is the burden of ongoing maintenance. Once an application is running, there is the task of monitoring to make sure everything stays up and running. With this comes research to figure out exactly how to monitor and what to look for. This is another instance where you need a unique solution for a unique situation.

About Lagoon

  1. What is Lagoon?
    Lagoon is an open source system for automating the build and deploy pipeline for container applications that gives developers full control over the architecture. It also provides services for triggering deploys on commit when new PRs are created and via API calls. The Lagoon container images allow developers to develop and test their applications locally with the same environment as in production. There are many other features like Slack/email build notifications, a web based UI, CLI and more!

  2. How does Lagoon integrate with Kubernetes?
    Lagoon transforms your application from source code into Docker containers and then deploys it into a Kubernetes cluster. Kubernetes manages the deployment, scaling, and running of the application.

  3. Can I run Lagoon on my own?
    Yes, Lagoon is open source and can be installed and managed by you. The requirements to do so may be daunting however. You must install, configure and manage all of the necessary Lagoon microservices and ensure they stay up to date. This is in addition to, and separate from, managing your Kubernetes cluster.

  4. Does Lagoon work with my existing Kubernetes applications and tools?
    Yes! Lagoon augments Kubernetes, not replaces it, so everything that works with Kubernetes will continue to do so.

  5. Which Kubernetes versions does Lagoon support?
    Lagoon is compatible with the current stable versions that are running in the major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and GCP). Since Lagoon and Kubernetes are evolving at a rapid pace, be sure to check the Lagoon release notes for details or contact us.

amazee.io Managed Hosting Services

  1. How does amazee.io manage Lagoon + Kubernetes? 
    Using Kubernetes, amazee.io is able to build and deploy clusters more easily and streamline maintenance efforts. amazee.io also maintains Lagoon to ensure it can take advantage of and contribute to all the newest advantages and features of Kubernetes.
    Running Lagoon on a traditional Kubernetes multi-cluster architecture allows for more clusters with smaller nodes and fewer pods, and it offers even more flexibility to host with Lagoon anywhere in the world.

  2. What are the advantages of Managed Lagoon Hosting Services by amazee.io?
    Using Managed Lagoon allows developers to do what they do best without having to worry about the implementation and upkeep of Kubernetes. With a managed service, operating Lagoon and Kubernetes is much simpler and deployment time is decreased significantly. You have a team that is monitoring and troubleshooting 24/7. All upgrades and fixes are handled so that the only thing left for your team to focus on is continuing to create new and great things. 

  3. Where is Lagoon hosting available?
    Managed Lagoon Hosting is available anywhere in the world!  You can host your code on any of amazee.io’s cloud hosting servers or on your own dedicated infrastructure, including on-premises hardware. amazee.io cloud hosting is a great choice for single applications and customers that prefer pay-per-use pricing that scales with their traffic.  Enterprise customers such as governments and global brands choose amazee.io dedicated hosting for its ability to be fully customized to their unique needs, the highest possible uptime guarantees and SLAs, and its conformity to the strictest of security requirements.

  4. How do I get started with containerized hosting?
    Looking to use Kubernetes and want our help? Reach out to us now.