Cloud Computing

Level: Intermediate

Mastering Kubernetes: Design, Deploy, and Manage Cloud-Native Applications

5 days

Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration, and mastering it is crucial for modern software development and deployment.

This course will take you from the fundamentals of Kubernetes architecture to advanced topics like zero-downtime deployments and microservices monitoring. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to tackle real-world Kubernetes challenges and optimise your cloud-native applications. Throughout this course, we’ll dive deep into Kubernetes, equipping you with the skills to design, deploy, and manage cloud-native applications effectively.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Understand and explain the Kubernetes architecture and its core components

  • Design and deploy applications on Kubernetes clusters

  • Implement effective Kubernetes networking and service exposure strategies

  • Perform zero-downtime deployments and upgrades

  • Use Helm to simplify management of services and applications

  • Troubleshoot applications and containers in a Kubernetes environment

  • Implement observability and monitoring for deployed microservices and applications

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Kubernetes and Container Orchestration

  • Understanding the need for container orchestration
  • Kubernetes history and its place in the cloud-native ecosystem
  • Key benefits of using Kubernetes in modern software development
  • Overview of Kubernetes use cases and success stories

Module 2: Kubernetes Architecture and Core Components

  • Deep dive into Kubernetes architecture (control plane and worker nodes)
  • Understanding key Kubernetes objects: Pods, Services, Deployments, and ReplicaSets
  • Exploring the role of etcd, API server, scheduler, and controller manager
  • Kubernetes networking fundamentals and service discovery

Module 3: Setting Up a Kubernetes Cluster

  • Installing and configuring kubectl
  • Setting up a local Kubernetes cluster with Minikube
  • Introduction to managed Kubernetes services (EKS, GKE, AKS)
  • Exploring Kubernetes dashboard and basic cluster operations

Module 4: Designing and Packaging Applications for Kubernetes

  • Creating Kubernetes manifests (YAML files) for applications
  • Understanding and implementing Pod lifecycle and health checks
  • Designing multi-container Pods and sidecar patterns
  • Packaging applications using Helm charts

Module 5: Kubernetes Networking and Service Exposure

  • Deep dive into the Kubernetes networking model
  • Implementing ClusterIP, NodePort, and LoadBalancer services
  • Using Ingress controllers for advanced HTTP routing
  • Implementing network policies for fine-grained access control

Module 6: Advanced Deployment Strategies

  • Implementing rolling updates and rollbacks
  • Mastering zero-downtime deployments using blue-green and canary strategies
  • Using StatefulSets for stateful applications
  • Implementing autoscaling with Horizontal Pod Autoscaler

Module 7: Persistent Storage in Kubernetes

  • Understanding Kubernetes storage concepts: Volumes, PersistentVolumes, and StorageClasses
  • Implementing persistent storage for stateful applications
  • Exploring dynamic volume provisioning
  • Best practices for managing storage in Kubernetes

Module 8: Simplifying Application Management with Helm

  • Introduction to Helm and its architecture
  • Creating, installing, and managing Helm charts
  • Customising Helm releases with values and templates
  • Best practices for organising and sharing Helm charts

Module 9: Kubernetes Security and Access Control

  • Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • Securing Kubernetes clusters and workloads
  • Managing secrets in Kubernetes
  • Implementing Pod security policies

Module 10: Troubleshooting Kubernetes Applications

  • Effective logging strategies in Kubernetes
  • Debugging Pods and containers
  • Troubleshooting networking and storage issues
  • Using kubectl debug and ephemeral containers for troubleshooting

Module 11: Observability and Monitoring

  • Implementing monitoring solutions (Prometheus and Grafana)
  • Setting up logging aggregation with ELK stack or Cloud-native alternatives
  • Implementing distributed tracing with Jaeger
  • Creating effective Kubernetes dashboards for application and cluster monitoring
  • Introduction to Kubernetes Operators
  • Exploring service mesh technologies (Istio)
  • Serverless on Kubernetes with Knative
  • Future trends in Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies

Hands-on Projects

Throughout the course, you’ll work on practical, real-world projects that reinforce your learning:

  1. Deploy a multi-tier application on Kubernetes
  2. Implement a CI/CD pipeline for Kubernetes deployments
  3. Design and implement a scalable microservices architecture
  4. Create a custom Kubernetes Operator for application management

Conclusion

By the end of this course, you’ll have a solid understanding of Kubernetes and the skills to design, deploy, and manage cloud-native applications with confidence. Remember, mastering Kubernetes is a journey, and this course is your first big step. I’m excited to guide you through this journey and help you unlock the full potential of container orchestration and cloud-native technologies.

Let’s dive in and start our Kubernetes adventure!