Kubernetes was designed to help developers gain more control over the deployment of hundreds and thousands of containers. While Kubernetes does the work, it isn’t necessarily time-effective, especially if you’re managing large scale operations. In this article, we’ll explain the basic principles of Kubernetes, and offer five methods for saving time when deploying a Kubernetes cluster.

What Is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is a container-as-a-service (CaaS) orchestration system. It was developed by Google to answer the growing need for a container management system, and released to the public in 2015. Developers use Kubernetes to automate the deployment, scaling and management of containerized workloads and services.

How Kubernetes Works

To enable an efficient orchestration of many containers, Kubernetes follows a client-server architecture that utilizes a variety of components for controlling node and point of contact.

Here are some basic Kubernetes components you should know about before using Kubernetes:

  • **Containers -** an immutable piece of execution code, based on a configuration image.
  • Pods - a collection of containers, which are connected to facilitate intra-pod communication. Containers inside a pod share the same resources, storage volume and IP address on the network location dedicated to the pod.
  • Controllers - provide visibility and control over various tasks
  • **ReplicaSet -** an API object used to manage the scaling of pods. This controller enables fast replication of pods.
  • Service - a group of pods that run on the same cluster. You can have as many services as you need in the same cluster, and use them to run a microservice architecture.
  • Deployment - runs multiple replicas of the application. The deployment is configured to automatically replace instances that fail or become unresponsive, based on the specs from a pod template.
  • Pod templates - specifies the configuration of each pod in the deployment, including the type of jobs each container executes, and the Pod’s volume and label.
  • **ConfigMap -** an API resource used to inject spec information from Kubernetes into the containers, without interrupting running processes.
  • Ingress - a set of rules that specify how Kubernetes cluster services communicate with outer applications and services.

Features of Kubernetes

Developers use Kubernetes to automate container processes, such as cluster deployment, bin packing, and rollouts and rollbacks. You can also monitor services, and then balance your load accordingly. Kubernetes is scalable and flexible, and is open for use in multiple environments, including on-premise data centers and cloud-native ecosystems.

5 Tips to Save Time When Deploying Kubernetes

1. Use Managed Services

Kubernetes is a complex operation, usually used to orchestrate mission-critical and large scale applications. Developers use managed Kubernetes services to save time by reducing the scope of manual processes when deploying Kubernetes. A managed service turns your Kubernetes into an enterprise-grade operation that ensures SLA compliance and simplifies operations.

  1. Use Helm Charts

Helm is an application package manager that runs on Kubernetes. Helm simplifies the process of defining the structure of applications, through the use of:

  • Helm charts—a collection of YAML template files, which are organized into a specific directory structure. Helm charts are text-based, versionable and simple to maintain.
  • Releases—the installation of a helm chart in Kubernetes clusters. You can install multiple releases on a single cluster, each release containing different configurations.

Helm charts can be published to public or private repositories, to be used as a template. You can download public helm charts, tweak them, and then use them for your own purposes. Or you can create your own templates for use in a variety of deployments. Either way, the use of helm charts will save a lot of time.

3. Load Balancing

The IP addresses of Kubernetes services exist only in the Kubernetes cluster. To access the deployed application from the Internet, you need to configure a load balancer. Usually, the load balancer is configured through exposing a service directly on a host machine port. To avoid port conflicts, and cut down on deployment time, you can configure HAProxy to proxy traffic to individual pods.

4. Use Namespaces and Labels

Developers use namespaces and labels to create an efficient organization structure of Kubernetes clusters and pods. Each namespace has a unique name that represent a virtual cluster inside your Kube cluster and provides a method for efficient cluster segmentation. Labels help developers distinguish between different pods. Creating a logical organizational system from the beginning can help you avoid wasting time on looking for specific components.

5. Automate Deployments to Kubernetes with GitLab

Kubernetes doesn’t have a built-in feature for CI/CD. If you want to automate deployments to Kubernetes, you can use GitLab. This will enable automation capabilities, such as continuous integration, continuous delivery and continuous deployment.

Here are the steps you’ll need to follow to configure automated deployments to Kubernetes with GitLab:

  1. Create a Kubernetes cluster
  2. Create a GitLab service account
  3. Integrate Kubernetes with GitLab
  4. Set up a Docker registry
  5. Create a GitLab repository and set up an SSH key
  6. Configure security on Kubernetes (use tokenization)
  7. Create your Docker image
  8. Configure and push your CI/CD Docker image to your GitLab repository
  9. Create a Kubernetes deployment
  10. Run you Kubernetes deployment through GitLab

For a more detailed review of the steps, check out the tutorials here and here.

It’s a Wrap!

Kuberenetes is a valuable resource for those of you orchestrating large scale containerized applications. However, the complexity of such an operation can often slow you down. To save time when deploying a Kubernetes cluster, you can use managed services, helm charts, and HAProxy for load balancing.

Be sure to use namespaces and labels to configure a logical organizational system. The logic doesn’t have to follow a standard set of rules, but it has to make sense to you—and preferably the people who work with you. Keep in mind that the most efficient way to save time is by automating as many processes as possible. You can configure automation by yourself or you can use a managed service. There are plenty of options. Choose the one that works for you.