What Developers Need to Know Before Starting with Kubernetes
Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform that allows deploying applications and services at massive scales. Additionally, this platform can automate the entire DevOps software lifecycle. Any enterprise hoping to keep up with ever-growing demand has already considered Kubernetes as one of the options.
But once you dive into Kubernetes, your developers will immediately realize that a long journey lies ahead. Although launching a Kubernetes cluster is not particularly difficult, everything that follows can quickly become overwhelming. In fact, without proper preparation, developers will find it very hard to master Kubernetes and deliver real value to the company.
So what do developers need to know before they start working with Kubernetes development services? Let's look at some skills your engineers will need to get the most out of container deployment.
Don't Rely on Documentation
The first thing your developers should understand is that Kubernetes documentation is not very good. It's not that the company behind Kubernetes is incapable of writing good documentation. The problem lies in the speed of Kubernetes development. In fact, few projects evolve as fast as Kubernetes.
The reason for such unprecedented speed is that many corporate enterprises depend on Kubernetes. Consequently, it is constantly changing. Unfortunately, documentation often fails to keep up with these changes. You may frequently find that the official documentation contains outdated or non-working elements. This means your developers will need to do some research to get everything working exactly as required.
Patience
Following poor documentation, developers will need to be patient. Learning Kubernetes will take some time. Properly configuring and optimizing container deployments will take even more time.
If you plan to use Kubernetes expecting to immediately deploy your first application or service, you are in for a long and frustrating journey. This means developers should spend enough time to fully understand what they are getting into before starting the first deployment.
Virtualization
One of the first concepts developers should be familiar with is virtualization. And it's not just about how to run a guest virtual machine using VirtualBox or VMware. Developers should thoroughly understand the concepts underlying virtualization, from hardware to software and all layers in between.
Containers
Next come containers. It might seem obvious that developers should understand containers before working with a container orchestrator. You might be surprised, but many skip this step.
Before starting with Kubernetes, developers should spend enough time getting familiar with Docker or Podman. Learn to deploy containers using these two platforms and don't even think about moving to Kubernetes until they can successfully deploy containerized applications and services with either platform.
YAML
Even before your developers start working with Docker or Podman, they need knowledge of YAML syntax. The first thing that stumps developers is poorly placed tabs and spacing in YAML files. If just one line is missing from a YAML file, it won't work, and the container won't deploy.
But it's not just about indentation. Your engineers should be well-versed in the structure of Dockerfiles and other manifests (all presented in YAML format). Without a rock-solid understanding of YAML, your developers will struggle from the start. For most developers, this should be an easy win.
DevOps
One of Kubernetes' goals is to leverage DevOps (the intersection of development and operations). This allows for significant reduction and automation of the software development lifecycle. By adopting DevOps, you not only make your company more agile but also save on costs and increase profits, as well as obtain more reliable applications and services.
However, DevOps is not just an idea that should be placed on the shoulders of developers. Many departments should be involved in this process. But the most important thing is that everyone can collaborate and work towards a single goal: automating the deployment and management of applications and services with Kubernetes.
AWS/Google Cloud/Azure
Although you can start your Kubernetes journey with a small cluster on servers in a local data center, eventually you will have to move to cloud services. Why? Because your on-premises data center cannot scale to the massive sizes like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.
With that in mind, developers should be well familiar with these services. They should know how to log in, use dashboards, deploy virtual machines, and gain remote access to them.
Linux
Finally, developers need to know Linux, which is the de facto standard operating system for deploying containerized applications. Without understanding how Linux works and how to use this open-source operating system, your developers will struggle.
Yes, they can do all their development in Windows or macOS, but the process of deploying virtual machines, then deploying containers and managing them with Kubernetes will be in Linux all day long.
Conclusion
That is a brief list of what your developers should know before diving into Kubernetes. But with these skills, it will be much easier for them to start working with this incredibly powerful and widely adopted technology.