Kubernetes Tutorial

Topics Covered

The topics covered in the Kubernetes tutorial are:

• What is Kubernetes?
• Kubernetes Architecture
• Kubernetes Interview Questions and Answers

Why learn Kubernetes?

The Kubernetes tutorial will ready you with a cloud computing concept that is cutting-edge and is actively being adopted. It's the next big thing after Virtual Machines as it simplifies the process application deployment to great extents. As more businesses start using Kubernetes, they will need certified Kubernetes DevOps professionals, making it an emerging career prospect. 

At this time, it is being used in top organizations such as Spotify, Google Cloud Platform, and SAP, and Pinterest. This Kubernetes tutorial will teach you skills that will help you prepare for relevant Kubernetes job openings. 

Applications of Kubernetes

Kubernetes was primarily developed to solve deployment hassles for engineers working with technologies that use containerized solutions such as Docker. This Kubernetes tutorial covers the following key applications of Kubernetes used across the industry. 

1. Deploying Distributed Workloads

Kubernetes enables developers to deploy their applications in distributed environments by providing a controllable framework. They can connect the Kubernetes API for managing application workloads across multiple containers. This enables them to build a robust system that automates several server management processes.

It also reduces the system upkeep as Kubernetes features several DevOps processes in-built. Commonly, developers use this for deploying the following type of applications. 

• Stateless Applications 
• Batch Jobs
• Stateful Applications
• Daemons

2. Managing Containerized Applications

Applications that have complex dependencies usually present challenges while migration and execution of updates. With Kubernetes, this problem is solved as applications can be packed in container form. 

Kubernetes provides an interface for managing containerized applications so that the process of development to deployment can be made simpler. Therefore, it has a strong use case in the container DevOps that are harder to manage using other practices.

It comes with the following features for managing containerized applications.

• Create and configure new containers 
• Remove existing containers
• Setup ports for multiple containers
• Merge code from several containers into one 
• Manage releases and rollbacks for containers 

3. DevOps Automation

Kubernetes finds significant application in the DevOps domain as it automates several processes associated with it. When applications are being deployed in distributed environments, it's hard to track each resource usage, actively manage infrastructure for all of them. 

But with Kubernetes, a majority of DevOps tasks are controlled automatically. Some of them are mentioned below. 

• Automatic Resource Scheduling - By configuring the specific resource requirements of every application, Kubernetes automatically schedules the containers as per their resource usage. This allows the dynamic management of unused resources, leading to better resource utilization.
• Automatic Health-Checks - Users can define automatic health checks that are used by Kubernetes to scan applications for discrepancies automatically. In case a fault is discovered, or a container crashes inadvertently, Kubernetes steps in to initiate repair protocols as well as notifying the system admin. 
• Automatic Rollbacks and Releases - Kubernetes makes the tedious process of releasing application updates a lot easier by automating the release process. In case conflicts or health issues are found in releases, the rollback can also occur automatically. 

4. Deploying Hybrid Cloud Environments

Kubernetes has been developed with the vision to support the hybridization of cloud resources. This refers to creating a balanced system that utilizes Virtual Machines in alignment with containerized applications.

This hybrid system makes it easy for a business that relies genuinely on its legacy cloud to adopt Kubernetes easily. The process is called creating Heterogeneous Clusters that strike the perfect balance between containers and individual servers. 

In addition to that, Kubernetes also allows the utilization of resources from other public clouds such as AWS and Microsoft Azure. You can configure a workflow that uses AWS Elastic Block Storage for persistent storage in your solution. 

Who Should Learn Kubernetes? 

Kubernetes primarily deals with server and system management. Hence, it is best suited for IT administrators and Cloud Engineers who want to foray into the role of Kubernetes Administrator. 

All kinds of Cloud Infrastructure Management professionals, may it be DevOps engineers or System Admins can benefit from learning Kubernetes. The quick adoption of the technology in enterprise IT signals that a firm career footing can be developed based on Kubernetes' skills. The Kubernetes tutorial covers all these things comprehensively. 

Prerequisites

Some of the prerequisites on your path to learning Kubernetes will be a decent knowledge of how Docker and containers work. These systems are different from Virtual Machines and Virtual Private Servers, which are widely used in the industry. 

Other concepts such as Network Configuration and Linux will also come handy in grasping Kubernetes quickly but are not mandatory. Many cloud engineers with prior experience are enhancing their skills with Kubernetes. 

Kubernetes Tutorial: Table of Contents

1. What is Kubernetes?: Your Next Open Source Platform

Kubernetes is an open-source platform for managing containerized applications with several DevOps features. The platform enables cloud engineers to readily deploy their applications in distributed container clusters without having to worry about aspects like autoscaling or health checks. 

In this Kubernetes tutorial, you will learn about how Kubernetes came into existence and two of its widespread applications in the industry - DevOps and Container Orchestration. 

You will also learn about various Kubernetes features such as Resource Bin Packing and Secure Configuration Management. These features are critical to understanding how Kubernetes works. 

The Kubernetes tutorial covers the benefits of using Kubernetes over Virtual Machines and the added advantages that businesses can extract out of it. This includes everything from making applications highly scalable to increasing the speed at which applications are developed. You will be able to grasp an excellent theoretical overview of Kubernetes before jumping into the core concepts. If you're a beginner, this tutorial will teach you some of the essential prerequisites that will come in handy when you're setting up containers. 

2. Understanding Kubernetes Architecture and Its Use Cases

Kubernetes uses a unique architecture to manage disparate systems. You will learn how this architecture operates alongside its components such as Pods, Nodes, Clusters, and the Master. These components interact with each other to lay down the framework in which services run. 

• Need for using Kubernetes

  Get a primer on the fundamental problems that Kubernetes solves and the need for such a system to exist. The tutorial also reflects upon the concept of containers and how they relate to Kubernetes. 

• Docker Swarm and Kubernetes

  Learn the key differences between a related technology called Docker Swarm, which is used in place of Kubernetes. This also includes why Kubernetes is actively replacing Docker Swarm in business applications.

• Hardware Components
  

  Kubernetes employs the concept of Nodes, Clusters, and Persistent Volumes to develop distributed systems. You'll get an overview of what these hardware components mean and connect.
  
  Also, the tutorial touches upon Pods, Deployment, and Ingress that complete the basics of Kubernetes. Going ahead into running a Kubernetes deployment of your own, you'll need a fair understanding of these concepts. 

• Industry Examples

  At last, learn how industry environments are using Kubernetes for their benefit. This gives a clear idea about the scope and actual implementation of Kubernetes. 

3. Kubernetes Interview Questions and Answers

Finally, after having covered the basic concepts and details about Kubernetes, the tutorial has the top 30 questions that are usually asked in interviews related to Kubernetes job profiles. 

These questions have been cherry-picked for easy preparation. It's always good to have definite answers to tricky Kubernetes questions such as K8s and Heapster. If you're preparing for an interview any time soon, it'll be worth going through these questions for your advantage. 

You also get to increase your knowledge about the common terminologies and buzzwords surrounding Kubernetes in this Kubernetes tutorial.

Choose The Right DevOps Program

This table compares various DevOps programs offered by Simplilearn, based on several key features and details. The table provides an overview of the courses' duration, skills you will learn, additional benefits, among other important factors, to help you make an informed decision about which course best suits your needs.

Program Name	DevOps Engineer Masters Program	Post Graduate Program in DevOps
Geo	All	All
University	Simplilearn	Caltech
Course Duration	11 Months	9 Months
Coding Experience Required	Basic Knowledge	Basic Knowledge
Skills You Will Learn	40+ Skills Including Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Jenkins, etc.	10+ Skills Including CI,CD, DevOps on Cloud, Deployment Automation, etc.
Additional Benefits	Masters Certification Real Life Projects Learn 40+ Skills and Tools	Caltech Campus Connect Career Services Masterclasses by Caltech Instructors
Cost	$$	$$$
	Explore Program	Explore Program

Begin Learning Kubernetes Tutorial Now

Kubernetes promises infrastructural efficiency and DevOps automation, which is hugely beneficial for most cloud environments. After being open-sourced, technology has gained immense popularity and is showing fast adoption by top companies. 

Therefore, start your Kubernetes journey with our first tutorial lesson on “What is Kubernetes? Your Next Open Source Platform”.The lesson will familiarize you with the technology in a detailed manner, covering the theory on which the Kubernetes platform is built. 

You'll be able to answer the fundamental questions such as Why Kubernetes, What are the core features and What benefits does it provide to the users? All these questions must be lurking in your mind since you've heard the term. So, now is the right time to cut the clutter and understand the terminologies properly. 

No matter if you're a complete beginner in IT or have worked with Kubernetes before, this Kubernetes tutorial lesson will help you solidify your understanding of the same. Begin the first lesson now.