Overview
Kubernetes is an open-source platform for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerised applications. Originally developed by Google and now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), it has become the de facto standard for running containers in production environments.
What Problem Does It Solve?
Modern applications often run in containers, which are lightweight packages of software that include everything needed to run consistently across environments. While containers simplify development, managing thousands of them across clusters of servers quickly becomes complex. Kubernetes solves this by providing orchestration—automating where containers run, how they scale, and how they recover from failures.
How It Works
- Pods: The smallest deployable unit, usually one or more containers that share resources.
- Nodes: Physical or virtual machines where pods run.
- Cluster: A group of nodes managed together.
- Control Plane: Decides what runs where, monitors health, and enforces policies.
- Services and Ingress: Manage internal and external access to applications.
Everyday Benefits
- Automatic scaling of applications up or down based on demand.
- High availability with self-healing—failed containers are replaced automatically.
- Portability across on-premise, hybrid, and public cloud environments.
- Faster development cycles through consistent environments from dev to production.
Deployment Considerations
Kubernetes is powerful but has a learning curve. It requires strong knowledge of containerisation, networking, and security. Enterprises often use managed Kubernetes services such as Amazon EKS, Google GKE, or Azure AKS to reduce operational complexity. For organisations building cloud-native applications, Kubernetes is a foundational technology that supports microservices, DevOps, and modern software delivery.
