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App Development
8 minutes read

Why Kubernetes?

By Jose Gomez
By Jose Gomez
App Development
8 minutes read

Have you ever wondered why Kubernetes is an essential tool for cloud application development? As an app development company, we understand the importance of using the right tools to build and deploy cloud-native applications, and Kubernetes is one of them. 

At some point in your application development process, you will probably need to scale your operations. Scaling allows you to go from few users to many without breaking your app. In order to guarantee a successful scaling, you will be faced with an important question: which cloud tools should you use? Choosing the wrong cloud tools to deploy cloud-native applications can be a costly mistake.

You could find multiple cloud providers, but this is highly inefficient. If you use the right tools, a single cloud provider is better for your business. Scheduling containers of an app can help you make better use of your cloud resources. This can help auto-scaling processes through a friendlier production environment across multiple platforms, including iOS and Android, no matter the operating system of your app. Normally, this would imply a lot of work, but it can easily be done with the Kubernetes platform.

Kubernetes is a great tool used to build containerized applications for the cloud. In other words, Kubernetes handles much of the tasks involved in the efficient allocation of server resources so that cloud-native applications can run better, helping deliver a better User Experience. 

Since its appearance in 2015, it has won the hearts of developers and IT teams. This post discusses what Kubernetes is all about and how this tool helps companies manage cloud-native applications easier. If you have a cloud-native app you are probably managing infrastructure on the cloud, and Kubernetes might be the right choice for your project.

In this post, we explain why Kubernetes is important and how it can help running containers easily so that you get the most out of your private or public clouds. If you haven’t considered using it, this article will tell you why it is important your team starts doing so.

Why Cloud-Native Applications Need Kubernetes

Before we go into the details of why Kubernetes is a great tool for your business, it is important to first understand some basics of how data processing workloads work. After all, running production workloads is a key aspect of any app that uses the cloud.

A cloud application consists of different software packages that are hosted on the cloud. Sometimes they are hosted on a private or public cloud, and on certain occasions on hybrid cloud environments. More apps are taking advantage of the cloud as better Internet speeds and other technologies allow for data to be transferred faster between users’ devices and the servers that host apps.

Cloud-native applications make use of the advantages of the cloud computing delivery models. These models include Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). All of them require developers to build apps using multiple services that run containers on the cloud.

A container is a way to package code such that different dependencies run quickly and in a reliable manner. This packaged code works using container images. A container image is a static file that runs executable code as an isolated process over an app’s underlying infrastructure. 

Different cloud providers offer different tools and container runtime alternatives. However, the goal is always to make the most efficient use of your app’s resources. As you might have guessed, Kubernetes is a great alternative to do it. 

Benefits of Developing Applications Using the Cloud and Kubernetes

Using containers through a tool like Kubernetes results in distributed applications that run only the code that’s needed. You can think of this as running your code in modular parts, helping optimize resources. Working with smaller parts is an easy way and a good solution to scale modern applications efficiently.

Managing containerized applications with Kubernetes can help your app achieve a better load balance. This last refers to the distribution of network traffic across servers in order to reduce the load of each individual one. Since Kubernetes is a great load balancer, you can rest assured that the result will be a more efficient and distributed resource utilization.  

Apps that rely on distributed systems using containers are better at load balancing thanks to the smaller components being run. This helps guarantee that no server receives too much demand, therefore optimizing an app’s performance. Doing this helps your infrastructure become a strategic part of your app, not just bare metal servers. Using containerized applications allows you to easily add new servers to keep up with the demand of requests, and it can also help you by rolling updates faster.

Keep in mind that containers are a popular way to manage software deployment independently of whether they are hosted on a private cloud or a public cloud. They allow each new deployment to be done faster and easier, helping implement CI/CD best practices. Aside from a better resource allocation, Kubernetes also results in a faster development process. 

Cloud Services and Kubernetes

Cloud environments have become very popular in recent years thanks to a wide variety of technologies available to app developers. In fact, almost all modern software systems, in one way or another, use cloud technologies. This has resulted in many cloud services, but sometimes companies have problems setting them up correctly.

Normally, a development team is in charge of developing the software, while an IT team takes care of the application architecture. Loosely coupled large teams of developers and IT specialists result in a suboptimal configuration of server requests. Making these teams work in harmony should be one of your goals.

If you use Kubernetes or some other tool to manage your container workloads, you can easily implement DevOps best practices. DevOps can help reduce friction between these two teams. It helps integrate the software development stages of your project and the hardware architecture it needs.

Cloud services are some of the fastest-growing services in the software industry. It is almost mandatory that any world-class app has the right cloud service provider and configurations. Integrating DevOps with Kubernetes is a good way to help optimize your app’s entire lifecycle and cloud settings through the following activities and processes: 

  • Continuous Integration and Delivery
  • Microservices
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  • Monitoring and Registering
  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Implementing new features

This way, you can rest assured that your app is ready to delight your users with the best possible experience. Downtimes and other technical problems can easily become a thing of the past. 

What Is Kubernetes?

Many people immediately associate DevOps with Kubernetes. The reason for this is that, as a DevOps tool, it has won the hearts and minds of developers. 

Kubernetes is an open-source software tool managed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. It is used to scale apps, automate deployments, manage automated rollouts and the replication controller, configure container registry and container runtime, and manage containerized apps and other services on the cloud all in one place. 

As mentioned, a container is a standard software unit that helps developers build better software. Other container tools like Docker exist, but Kubernetes is more than just that. It is a container orchestration platform specially created for DevOps practices. 

The basic function of Kubernetes is to separate hardware from the application layer. This allows your app team to set up your app’s configuration, both on the cloud and in physical servers, so that both are perfectly integrated with one another. In other words, it merges your infrastructure with the deployment of your app. It can even be used if you have multiple applications.

Kubernetes and Old Servers

A common situation many companies find themselves in is having old hardware. Old servers, in particular, can be problematic in terms of IT infrastructure; legacy infrastructure hinders your app’s performance. 

Together, Kubernetes and DevOps are a great solution for this. Companies can solve many of their legacy infrastructure problems using Kubernetes, so they usually hire a strategic app development partner that can provide this service.

Why Kubernetes?

As a container orchestration tool, Kubernetes allows you to build better systems. It is a resilient, manageable, and observable tool that can help your team automate certain time-consuming tasks. This allows your developers to organize their workload better, focus on important things like your project’s security and Quality Assurance, and guarantee smooth operations. 

As a result, your app’s performance will improve and easily scale while your downtime will be reduced. This means you will be able to meet your digital product’s demand spike, among other things. 

Upgrade Your DevOps with Kubernetes

Modern software development requires using the best tools available. To make the best out of your app’s operations, at Koombea we highly recommend using the best tools available. Running Kubernetes with your app makes sense as it helps you be more efficient and bring other benefits to your company.This can make all the difference in terms of having a smooth operational pipeline. If you want to know more about how to get started with this great tool, contact us.

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