What is Kubernetes?

Short answer

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It was originally designed by Google and is now maintained by the CNCF.

How it works

Kubernetes clusters consist of a control plane and worker nodes. The control plane manages the cluster state via the API server, scheduler, and controller manager. Worker nodes run containerized workloads managed by the kubelet and kube-proxy. Pods are the smallest deployable units.

Example

Create a simple deployment:

kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx
kubectl expose deployment nginx --port=80 --type=LoadBalancer

Why it matters

Kubernetes provides self-healing, horizontal scaling, service discovery, and declarative configuration. It has become the de facto standard for container orchestration, supported by every major cloud provider and a vast ecosystem of tools.

Key differences

• Kubernetes: Full-featured, steep learning curve, vendor-neutral.
• Docker Swarm: Simpler, fewer features, tightly integrated with Docker.
• Nomad: Lightweight, supports non-container workloads.