Understanding containers
Over the course of a deployment, a container will provide file and process separation in a step-by-step manner, similar to the functionality of any other machine. One of the best things is the refinement of server efficiency, which further facilitates a higher density of containers to co-locate them on the same spot. As we know that the container technology has been a major component of Unix-type operating systems for quite some time now, it has managed to acquire a genuine significance only after the introduction of Docker. Docker has been able to incorporate both standardizations to the container runtimes. For instance, through the Open Container Initiative, also by the development of a comprehensive container management system at the hands of raw technology, and streamlining the process of developing and deploying containers for end users.
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes enables the users to execute various instances of a container across different machines, and at the same time accomplish fault tolerance and horizontal scale-out. Google developed Kubernetes after over a decade of employing container orchestration internally to run their public services. Apparently, Kubernetes emergence has been acknowledged and execution is on the rise. According to Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s recent bi-annual survey of more than 2,000 IT professionals in North America and Europe, it was found that around 75% of participants were using containers in production, while the remainder planned to incorporate sometime in the future. Kubernetes usage is convincingly strong at 83%, while 77% are using the platform, and 58% utilizing it in the production processes.
The enterprise advantages of NetApp Kubernetes for small and medium-sized organizations
1) More opportunities
NetApp Kubernetes empowers an entity in executing various container instances at the same time. The practice can be done through different machines without affecting at tolerance and scale levels. Although Google presented Kubernetes more than a decade after using container orchestration, it still is one of the best approaches for any organization operating its own proprietary solutions handling data center container scaling and deployment. Both small and medium-sized businesses are able to refine their software development processes through the Kubernetes open-source platform.
2) Managing stateful applications
Stateful applications including message brokers and database services, perform activities of recording and managing of the data produced within an enterprise platform. Although Kubernetes has always supported the inclusion of stateful applications (which are horizontally scalable because of the interchangeability feature of each pod), they need powerful guarantees to handle the storage in place. Kubernetes deployment persistent volumes are utilized to develop an abstraction layer between the pods and their respective provisioned storage, which helps in easy management of each pod individually. Pods use persistent volume claims as a form of storage request that is met by the Kubernetes cluster’s persistent volume. It is important to know that in both static and dynamic provisioning situations, stateful applications require nothing second to reliable storage that is a proven system against failure and installed with data security features like backup and restore.
3) Containerization getting simplified
As we are aware that the use of containers has experienced rapid growth since the last decade, and Docker is considered as the most preferred container form, the open-source platform is not the end of the story on why most enterprises today use this technology. In order to make the containers perform at their maximum potential, they require further platforms for streamlining scheduling deployment, storage management, and scaling. And this is why Kubernetes is taken as the most valued orchestration tool. Together, both standards enable IT professionals to develop lightweight, portable, and truly efficient applications. For example, Google literally creates billions of these applications on daily basis to cater the paramount data on Gmail, Search, Google Docs, and a list of other cloud-based applications. And when they aren’t required, they simply vanish and release ample resources for the next user.
One of the most common, yet powerful traits of containers is their high efficiency. Through their stateless design, it means that no data can be stored after they have been torn down. However, the feature makes them ideal for single functions and services. Rather than arguing whether to employ stateless or stateful containers or which orchestrator platform is more appropriate, the best situation is to perform both with every cloud. This is exactly what NetApp is planning with Trident and the Kubernetes service as a part of their Data Fabric approach. Putting it simply, the solution displays as a storage provisioner and orchestrator that uses StorageClass API object in Kubernetes to acquire storage resources on the requirement, without stressing on the minutiae.
4) Deployable in three clicks
When a genuine cloud-native service accesses through a unified portal, the whole Kubernetes cluster can be deployed within three clicks without calling any software assistance. The cluster can use both legacy NFS and SMB storage pools and modernized object-based storage. Furthermore, it is also equipped with powerful capabilities like backups, clones, and synchronization which are accessible from a single management console. The solution will acquire the open source version of Kubernetes and Istio in order to make it simpler for forming a network of deployed services with load balancing, service-to-service authentication, and monitoring among other things, however, without any modifications in the service code.
5) Single glass pane
Small and medium-sized enterprises normally find it challenging to control multiple glass panes for data center and containers management. Through NetApp Kubernetes services, users exercise better control without incurring any irrelevant, additional costs at the same time.
Conclusion
Given the rising need for a better IT infrastructure and data storage and management practices, organizations and IT personnel are opting to pursue quality NetApp training and consult related blogs on hybrid cloud management. These NetApp certifications not only discuss the latest IT tools and technologies but also allow both the students and professionals to acquire practical, hands-on experience for lucrative career opportunities. As for the benefits discussed, it is clear how efficient and effective NetApp Kubernetes is in providing a plethora of time-saving, productive options to small and medium-sized organizations for data storage and management.