What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes (Greek for “helmsman”) makes it possible to run container workloads independently of the platform underneath. The system ensures that applications always run in the desired state – whether in the public cloud, on premises or in hybrid environments.
Architecture & components
Control plane
The control plane steers the whole cluster. It consists of the API server, etcd (which stores cluster state), the scheduler and the controller manager.
Worker nodes
Containers run in pods on worker nodes. Components such as kubelet, kube-proxy and the container runtime (containerd or CRI-O, for example) keep them operating.
Pods & services
Pods are the smallest deployable unit. Services and ingress controllers connect pods to each other and expose them to the outside world.
Configuration & security
ConfigMaps and secrets store settings and sensitive data. RBAC and policies control access to cluster resources.
Benefits of Kubernetes
- Platform independence: Runs on bare metal, in the cloud or hybrid.
- Scalability: Horizontal pod autoscaling adjusts to load dynamically.
- Self-healing: Faulty pods are restarted and automatically rescheduled.
- Standardisation: One consistent platform for microservices and DevOps.
Challenges
- Complexity: Setup and operation call for specialist know-how.
- Security management: RBAC, secrets and policies must be applied consistently.
- Observability: Monitoring, logging and tracing need additional tooling.
- Learning curve: Kubernetes has a complex concept and resource model.
Typical use cases
- Microservices: Running distributed applications with scaling and isolation.
- CI/CD pipelines: Automated deployments and GitOps workflows.
- AI & ML: Compute-intensive workloads on GPU-based nodes.
- Hybrid & multi-cloud: A consistent API model across different environments.
- SaaS applications: A standard platform for cloud-native services.
Kubernetes and centron
With centron, companies run Kubernetes on stable, secure infrastructure. From compute resources through firewalls to backup and GPU acceleration, centron supplies the right foundation for production Kubernetes clusters.
| centron component | Role in a Kubernetes setup |
|---|---|
| ccloud³ VM | Compute base for Kubernetes control plane and worker nodes |
| Managed Firewall | Protection for API server, nodes and networks |
| Backup & Recovery | Safeguarding etcd, cluster state and persistent volumes |
| Cloud GPU | Accelerated AI and ML workloads in Kubernetes clusters |
| CI/CD Pipelines | Automated deployments for Kubernetes applications |
FAQ on Kubernetes
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is an open source system for orchestrating containers that automates deployment, scaling and management.
What are the benefits of Kubernetes?
Kubernetes offers platform independence, scalability, self-healing and standardisation for modern cloud-native workloads.
What are the challenges?
Complexity, a steep learning curve and demanding security and observability requirements are the biggest ones.
Which scenarios suit Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is ideal for microservices, CI/CD, AI workloads, SaaS applications and hybrid cloud strategies.
Kubernetes for modern workflows
Speed up your deployments with CI/CD Pipelines and extend your clusters with Cloud GPUs for ML and AI workloads.
Kubernetes – start here ccloud³ VMs