8 Managed Kubernetes deployment
This chapter covers
- Provisioning a managed Kubernetes cluster
- Installing the Kubernetes CLI (kubectl)
- Connecting to a cluster with kubectl
- Running a container with a deployment
- Exposing a deployment with a service
- Container-to-container communication with DNS
- Load-balancing containers with ingress services
We have now reached our primary destination: the land of Kubernetes. Put simply, Kubernetes runs and manages containers across a cluster of virtual machines. Kubernetes can start, stop, and restart containers; run 0 to N number of container instances; switch or roll back versions; unlock container-to-container communication at scale; manage volumes and storage; inject environment variables; and so much more. K8s, a shorthand for Kubernetes (pronounced “kay eights”), also has a massive third-party ecosystem that extends its capabilities even further. The sheer number of features and third-party tools can make learning Kubernetes seem downright daunting. This chapter focuses on a few key features of Kubernetes that will accomplish two primary objectives: deploy our applications and build a practical foundation for learning more advanced Kubernetes topics.