01What Kubernetes does
Kubernetes runs and manages containers across a group of machines. It restarts what fails, scales up and down, rolls out new versions in stages and keeps configuration in files. Managed versions exist on every major cloud: EKS on AWS, AKS on Azure and GKE on Google Cloud.
02Options compared
Plain servers with automated releases
- Good for
- One or two applications with steady traffic
- Trade-off
- Scaling and failover are more manual
Managed container services (ECS, Container Apps, Cloud Run)
- Good for
- Containers without running a cluster
- Trade-off
- Less control and some provider lock-in
Managed Kubernetes (EKS, AKS, GKE)
- Good for
- Many services, variable traffic, need for fine control
- Trade-off
- More to learn, run and secure
03Signs you are ready
- You run many services that scale independently
- Traffic is spiky and you want automatic scaling
- You release often and want staged rollouts and rollback
- Your team has, or will invest in, Kubernetes skills
- You need the same setup across several environments or clouds
04Signs to wait
- One or two applications with steady load
- No one on the team has run containers in production
- The main problem is releases, which automation solves without a cluster
- Cost and effort of running a cluster outweigh what it would give you
Good CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code give most of the benefit with much less to run. Add Kubernetes when the need is clear.
?Frequently asked questions
Is Kubernetes overkill for a startup?
Often, early on. Containers with automated releases and a managed container service usually carry a startup a long way.
Which managed Kubernetes should we use?
Use the one on the cloud you already run: EKS on AWS, AKS on Azure or GKE on Google Cloud.
Can you set it up for us?
Yes. We set up and run Kubernetes on all three clouds, and tell you honestly when you do not need it.
What is GitOps?
Running deployments from Git: the repository describes the desired state and a tool such as Argo CD keeps the cluster matching it.