How Kubernetes Influences DevOps: 7 Key Factors to Know

Kubernetes as a DevOps Tool Managing, scaling, and automating the deployment of containerized software is possible with the help of the open-source Kubernetes system. Kubernetes was created with a particular emphasis on the experience of developers creating containerized applications. Hence, its performance has been reliant on the containerization community. Kubernetes is not fundamental to DevOps, […]

How Kubernetes Influences DevOps 7 Key Factors to Know
10-08-2022
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Victor Elendu

Kubernetes as a DevOps Tool

Managing, scaling, and automating the deployment of containerized software is possible with the help of the open-source Kubernetes system. Kubernetes was created with a particular emphasis on the experience of developers creating containerized applications. Hence, its performance has been reliant on the containerization community.

Kubernetes is not fundamental to DevOps, and adopting Kubernetes container management does not necessitate the formation of a DevOps team. However, we’ll discuss some of the ways these two complement each other.

The inclusion of Kubernetes in a DevOps toolchain provides distributed sequencing, which allows infrastructure and settings to be managed reliably across many environments. Automated application performance management, deployment, and expansion using container management increase the operational reliability and speed of DevOps pathways. This advantage is particularly visible for firms that use several platforms, such as on-premises and public clouds. Even without systems like Kubernetes, deployment processes would differ from each other.

From better automation and scalability to sophisticated delivery methodologies, let’s see how adopting Kubernetes influences the DevOps toolchain.

7 Key Impacts of Kubernetes on DevOps

How does Kubernetes influence DevOps? You may ask. Kubernetes’ variety of qualities and features make it suitable for designing, implementing, and expanding enterprise DevOps pipelines. Also, it enables teams to automate the tedious tasks associated with coordinating. This form of automation will immensely assist any organization wanting to boost quality and effectiveness.

1) Marketable Infrastructure

Developers may build infrastructure as-needed with the help of Kubernetes’ self-service catalog capabilities. This covers cloud services accessible by open-service and API standards, such as AWS resources. To maintain reliability, security, and uniformity, these systems depend on the settings that operations staff permit.

2) Code-based Infrastructure and Configuration

Construction of infrastructure as code is possible with Kubernetes. Kubernetes may be given access to all components of the apps and tools, including ports, access restrictions, and databases. Also manageable are environment settings written in code.

Instead of running a script every time a new environment has to be deployed, Kubernetes may be given a source repository with the necessary configuration files.

Furthermore, teams may specify and alter infrastructure and configurations more easily and can send changes to Kubernetes for automated processing thanks to version control systems’ ability to manage code similarly to how applications are managed during development.

3) Interaction Across Functions

It is possible to handle the granular controls once a route is orchestrated using Kubernetes. Doing so gives a user the ability to restrict the ability of some programs or roles to do particular activities. For example, clients may be limited to deployment or inspection procedures, while testers could only see builds that were awaiting confirmation.

Efficient cooperation is made possible by this form of control, which also ensures that settings and assets are consistent. It’s easier to keep budgets and lower Kubernetes vulnerabilities when you have control over the deployment and scalability of pipeline resources.

4) Deployments with No Disruption

The deployment of the latest versions may be done with zero disruption thanks to Kubernetes’ rolling updates and automatic rollback abilities. Instead of sliding down production environments and redeploying new ones, Kubernetes may be used to distribute traffic over the existing services and refresh the clusters one at a time.

More such capabilities make it simple to do blue/green deployments, give consumers priority for new improvements, and run A/B tests on the features of the product.

The main goal of DevOps is to deliver software more quickly, even though it also seeks to enhance the whole SDLC. DevOps pipelines significantly rely on automation, integration, communication, and teamwork to make sure of this. By enabling small-scale adjustments, containers and microservices accelerate the development process. Thus, software upgrades are now possible with little to no downtime. It becomes difficult to operate enterprise-grade systems with large numbers of containers, though.

5) Pods’ Adaptability

The pods in a Kubernetes system are typically regarded as the basic components that power a container. A single pod may execute several containers, which improves resource consumption.

We can operate other services alongside the primary app thanks to the adaptability of pods. Load adjustment, routing, and other capabilities may be fully segregated from the app functionality and microservices thanks to adaptable pods’ efficient use of resources.

6) Updates and Reversals

The Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment workflow in a Kubernetes system notably benefit from adding newer pods. In these situations, the current pods are often not changed. Instead, to avoid any influence on the end user, they are updated by utilizing a functionality in the Kube deployment object.

A service then directs the traffic to the new pod. Since the old version is kept in the version control system, reverting to it is simple if the upgrade doesn’t work as intended.

7) Dependability

Another essential feature that makes Kubernetes ideal for CI/CD operations is reliability. A variety of health-check capabilities in Kubernetes alleviate numerous problems that are related to deploying a new iteration.

Originally, when a new pod was being deployed, it frequently crashed or had problems. Now that Kubernetes has been implemented and has an auto-healing function built in, it is simpler to guarantee that the overall structure remains operational.

With the aid of two techniques; liveness check and readiness check, a Kubernetes system may improve its strong dependability. Both are used to monitor the state of the applications and keep the system from being brought to a halt by one pod. If any of the recently installed pods are having issues, they will also alert users and update the system.

Risks Associated with Kubernetes for DevOps Teams

Due to its complexity, Kubernetes poses a danger to itself. Don’t only create Kubernetes proof-of-concept or pilot projects; connect DevOps with Kubernetes. Invest in technological training.

Additionally, businesses need to adapt to the way Kubernetes isolates resources for information exchange amongst container deployments. Also, every location has specific needs and security measures. Operations will manage numerous Kubernetes installations if each line of business in a corporation has its Kubernetes cluster and accompanying services, such as security, to prevent one tenant from monopolizing the cluster resources and degrading the performance of other tenants.

Risks include using resources less effectively. As a result, IT teams are encouraged to allocate portions of CPU, memory, disk space, and network resources to each service as a result of poor design and irrational surges to the cloud. To accommodate the highest projected workload, these silos encourage overprovisioning. Additionally, overprovisioning drives up cloud costs or consumes space on leased hardware, both of which hurt the wallet.

Final Thoughts

Continuous Development (CD) and Continuous Integration (CI) are the two key components of DevOps operations. DevOps is effective in an organization if the workflow processes, such as automation and scalability, function well in the production environment.

For managing DevOps, Kubernetes in a CI/CD process works perfectly. From prototype to final release, the entire process can be finished quickly, courtesy of Kubernetes, while still retaining the scalability and dependability of the software production environment. Therefore, DevOps using Kubernetes may effectively boost the process’s responsiveness.

FAQs on How Kubernetes Influences DevOps

How does Kubernetes help DevOps?

Workload reduction is one of the main benefits of adopting Kubernetes for DevOps. Additionally, it resolves inconsistencies across several settings. It enables engineers to meet client demands while relying on the cloud for many operational apps.

What role do containers play in DevOps?

DevOps teams are aware that apps running in containers will function the same wherever they are deployed. Applications may be scaled, patched, or deployed more quickly thanks to containers. Agile and DevOps initiatives to speed up the development, testing, and production cycles are supported by containers.

Is Kubernetes used for CI/CD?

The Kubernetes design enables your CI/CD pipeline to be portable and works across many cloud providers and regions. The declarative nature of Tekton with Kubernetes allows you to standardize, collaborate, and share workflows across teams.

Do you need containers for DevOps?

Tech departments can spot inefficiencies and alter priorities more quickly. As a result, containers are an essential component of many DevOps operations. They are lightweight, can be routinely deployed in many contexts, and are simple to move from one team to another.

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