Top 6 Kubernetes use cases

Kubernetes, the world’s hottest open-source container orchestration platform, is taken into account a significant milestone within the historical past of cloud-native applied sciences. Developed internally at Google and launched to the general public in 2014, Kubernetes has enabled organizations to maneuver away from conventional IT infrastructure and towards the automation of operational duties tied to the deployment, scaling and managing of containerized purposes (or microservices). Whereas Kubernetes has turn out to be the de facto customary for container administration, many corporations additionally use the expertise for a broader vary of use instances.

Overview of Kubernetes

Containers—light-weight models of software program that bundle code and all its dependencies to run in any atmosphere—kind the muse of Kubernetes and are mission-critical for contemporary microservices, cloud-native software program and DevOps workflows.

Docker was the primary open-source software program instrument to popularize constructing, deploying and managing containerized purposes. However Docker lacked an automatic “orchestration” instrument, which made it time-consuming and complicated for information science groups to scale purposes. Kubernetes, additionally known as K8s, was particularly created to handle these challenges by automating the administration of containerized purposes.

In broad strokes, the Kubernetes orchestration platform runs through containers with pods and nodes. A pod operates a number of Linux containers and might run in multiples for scaling and failure resistance. Nodes run the pods and are often grouped in a Kubernetes cluster, abstracting the underlying bodily {hardware} assets. 

Kubernetes’s declarative, API-driven infrastructure has helped release DevOps and different groups from manually pushed processes to allow them to work extra independently and effectively to realize their objectives. In 2015, Google donated Kubernetes as a seed expertise to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) (hyperlink resides exterior ibm.com), the open-source, vendor-neutral hub of cloud-native computing.

Read about the history of Kubernetes

At this time, Kubernetes is broadly utilized in manufacturing to handle Docker and basically some other sort of container runtime. Whereas Docker contains its personal orchestration instrument, referred to as Docker Swarm, most builders select Kubernetes container orchestration as an alternative.

As an open-source system, Kubernetes companies are supported by all of the main public cloud suppliers, together with IBM, Amazon Net Companies (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google. Kubernetes can even run on bare metal servers and virtual machines (VMs) in personal cloud, hybrid cloud and edge settings, supplied the host OS is a model of Linux or Home windows.

Six high Kubernetes use instances

Right here’s a rundown of six high Kubernetes use instances that reveal how Kubernetes is reworking IT infrastructure.

1. Massive-scale app deployment

Closely trafficked web sites and cloud computing purposes obtain hundreds of thousands of consumer requests every day. A key benefit of utilizing Kubernetes for large-scale cloud app deployment is autoscaling. This course of permits purposes to regulate to demand adjustments robotically, with pace, effectivity and minimal downtime. As an example, when demand fluctuates, Kubernetes permits purposes to run repeatedly and reply to adjustments in net visitors patterns This helps preserve the correct amount of workload assets, with out over- or under-provisioning.

Kubernetes employs horizontal pod autoscaling (HPA) (hyperlink resides exterior ibm.com) to hold out load balancing (as for CPU utilization or customized metrics) by scaling the variety of pod replicas (clones that facilitate self-healing) associated to a particular deployment. This mitigates potential points like visitors surges, {hardware} issues or community disruptions.

Be aware: HPA is to not be confused with Kubernetes vertical pod autoscaling (VPA), which assigns extra assets, similar to reminiscence or CPU, to the pods which can be already operating for the workload.

2. Excessive-performance computing

Industries together with authorities, science, finance and engineering rely closely on high-performance computing (HPC), the expertise that processes huge information to carry out advanced calculations. HPC makes use of highly effective processors at extraordinarily excessive speeds to make instantaneous data-driven choices. Actual-world makes use of of HPC embrace  automating inventory buying and selling, climate prediction, DNA sequencing and plane flight simulation.

HPC-heavy industries use Kubernetes to handle the distribution of HPC calculations throughout hybrid and multicloud environments. Kubernetes can even function a versatile instrument to assist batch job processing concerned in excessive efficiency computing workloads, which boosts information and code portability.

3. AI and machine studying

Constructing and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) programs requires big volumes of information and complicated processes like excessive efficiency computing and massive information evaluation. Deploying machine studying on Kubernetes makes it simpler for organizations to automate the administration and scaling of ML lifecycles and reduces the necessity for guide intervention.

For instance, the Kubernetes containerized orchestration platform can automate parts of AI and ML predictive upkeep workflows, together with well being checks and useful resource planning. And Kubernetes can scale ML workloads up or down to fulfill consumer calls for, regulate useful resource utilization and management prices.

Machine studying depends on massive language fashions to carry out high-level natural language processing (NLP) like textual content classification, sentiment evaluation and machine translation, and Kubernetes helps pace the deploy of enormous language fashions automate the NLP course of. As increasingly more group flip to generative AI capabilities, they’re utilizing Kubernetes to run and scale generative AI fashions, offering excessive availability and fault tolerance.

Total, Kubernetes gives the flexibleness, portability and scalability wanted to coach, take a look at, schedule and deploy ML and generative AI fashions.

4. Microservices administration

Microservices (or microservices structure) supply a contemporary cloud-native structure method the place every utility is comprised of quite a few loosely linked and independently deployable smaller elements, or companies. As an example, massive retail e-commerce web sites encompass many microservices. These usually embrace an order service, fee service, delivery service and customer support. Every service has its personal REST API, which the opposite companies use to speak with it.

Kubernetes was designed to deal with the complexity concerned to handle all of the unbiased elements operating concurrently inside microservices structure. As an example, Kubernetes’ built-in high availability (HA) characteristic ensures steady operations even within the occasion of failure. And the Kubernetes self-healing characteristic kicks in if a containerized app or an utility part goes down. The self-healing characteristic can immediately redeploy the app or utility part, matching the specified state, which helps to take care of uptime and reliability.

5. Hybrid and multicloud deployments

Kubernetes is constructed for use wherever, making it simpler for organizations emigrate purposes from on-premises to hybrid cloud and multicloud environments. Kubernetes standardizes migration by offering software program builders with built-in instructions for efficient app deployment. Kubernetes can even roll out adjustments to apps and scale them up and down relying on atmosphere necessities.

Kubernetes presents portability throughout on-premises and cloud environments because it abstracts away infrastructure particulars from purposes. This eliminates the necessity for platform-specific app dependencies and makes it simple to maneuver purposes between completely different cloud suppliers or information facilities with minimal effort.

6. Enterprise DevOps

For enterprise DevOps groups, with the ability to replace and deploy purposes quickly is crucial for enterprise success. Kubernetes gives groups with each software program system improvement and upkeep to enhance general agility. And the Kubernetes API interface permits software program builders and different DevOps stakeholders to simply view, entry, deploy, replace and optimize their container ecosystems.

CI/CD—which stands for continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD)—has turn out to be a key side of software program improvement. In DevOps, CI/CD streamlines utility coding, testing and deployment by giving groups a single repository for storing work and automation instruments to constantly mix and take a look at the code and guarantee it really works. Kubernetes performs an essential function in cloud-native CI/CD pipelines by automating container deployment throughout cloud infrastructure environments and guaranteeing environment friendly use of assets.

The way forward for Kubernetes

Kubernetes performs a crucial IT infrastructure function, as could be seen in its many value-driven use instances that transcend container orchestration. Because of this so many companies proceed to implement Kubernetes. In a 2021 Cloud Native Survey (hyperlink resides exterior ibm.com) carried out by the CNCF, Kubernetes utilization is proven to have reached its highest level ever, with 96% of organizations utilizing or evaluating the containerized platform. In keeping with the identical examine, Kubernetes utilization continues to rise in rising expertise areas, similar to Africa, the place 73% of survey respondents are utilizing Kubernetes in manufacturing.

IBM and Kubernetes

Kubernetes schedules and automates duties integral to managing container-based architectures, spanning container deployment, updates, service discovery, storage provisioning, load balancing, well being monitoring and extra. At IBM we’re serving to purchasers modernize their purposes and optimize their IT infrastructure with Kubernetes and different cloud-native options.

Deploy safe, extremely obtainable clusters in a local Kubernetes expertise with IBM Cloud® Kubernetes Service.

Explore IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service

Containerize and deploy Kubernetes clusters for containerized platforms utilizing Purple Hat® OpenShift® on IBM Cloud.

Explore Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud