Understanding Managed Kubernetes and Its Benefits for Businesses

Kubernetes (K8s)

If you’re a business looking to streamline your operations, there’s a good chance that you’re either already familiar with (or at minimum have heard of) Kubernetes (K8s). Originally developed by Google and now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), K8s offers a flexible and scalable infrastructure for running containerized applications. Simply put, Kubernetes allows developers to easily deploy and manage containerized applications across different environments (on-premises data centers, public clouds, hybrid clouds, etc).

With a declarative approach to managing containers, users define the desired state of their applications and K8s takes care of the underlying infrastructure to ensure it is achieved. Using a group of nodes (servers) referred to as “clusters” to power the orchestration, this allows for greater efficiency and automation in managing containerized applications while enabling faster and more reliable application deployments.

While Kubernetes can be used to manage containers in any environment, the managing of K8s itself can often be challenging. Enter Managed Kubernetes. Managed Kubernetes is a service offered by cloud providers that takes care of the operational overhead of running and managing Kubernetes clusters. Said differently, it is a turnkey solution that makes it easy for businesses to take advantage of Kubernetes benefits without having to worry about the complexities associated with managing it.

Advantages of Using Managed Kubernetes

• Simplified Management: Managed Kubernetes provides an easy-to-use interface that simplifies the management of Kubernetes clusters. With a managed Kubernetes service, businesses don’t have to worry about setting up and configuring Kubernetes clusters, scaling them up or down, or performing upgrades and maintenance.
• Increased Flexibility: Managed Kubernetes allows businesses to run their applications in a variety of environments, including public, private, and hybrid clouds. This gives businesses the flexibility to choose the environment that best suits their needs.
• Improved Security: Managed Kubernetes services offer built-in security features, such as role-based access control and network policies, that help protect applications from unauthorized access and ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Enhanced Scalability: Managed Kubernetes services allow businesses to easily scale their applications up or down, depending on their needs. This makes it easier to handle sudden spikes in traffic and ensure that applications are running smoothly at all times.

What to Look for When Evaluating Cloud Providers that Offer Managed Kubernetes

• Performance and Reliability: When evaluating cloud providers that offer managed Kubernetes, it’s important to consider their performance and reliability. Look for providers that offer high availability and uptime guarantees.
• Security and Compliance: Make sure that the provider you choose offers robust security features and is compliant with relevant industry standards, such as PCI-DSS or HIPAA.
• Support and Service Level Agreements: Choose a provider that offers responsive and reliable support, and has clear service level agreements (SLAs) that detail their commitment to uptime, performance, and customer service.
• Cost: Managed Kubernetes services can vary in cost, so it’s important to evaluate pricing models and compare providers to find the best value for your business.

While Kubernetes can be a good fit for a broad range of development and IT teams with varying needs and priorities, K8s is a particularly good fit for those working with microservices, cloud-native applications, DevOps, and/or big data workloads. Managed K8s becomes an especially good fit for teams that take it a step further with several varied workloads that make demand unpredictable, a need for robust reliability with failover and/or backup contingencies, a preference for focusing on application development rather than infrastructure management, or teams with limited K8s expertise and resources for in-house infrastructure maintenance. If one of these profiles feels like a match for teams in your organization, a Managed K8s service may offer significant advantages to your business.