CSC/ECE 517 Fall 2023 - NTX-2 Observability and Debuggability

About Kubernetes

Kubernetes, often abbreviated as K8s, is an open-source container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It was originally developed by Google and is now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Kubernetes provides a powerful and flexible framework for managing containers, making it easier to deploy and manage complex, distributed applications.

Key Concepts and Components of Kubernetes

1. Containers: Kubernetes is designed to work with containers, which are lightweight, portable, and isolated environments for running applications and their dependencies. Docker is one of the most popular container runtimes used with Kubernetes.

2. Nodes: These are the machines, whether physical or virtual, that run your containerized applications. Nodes can be part of a cluster and are responsible for running containers and providing computing resources.

3. Pods: The smallest deployable units in Kubernetes are pods. A pod can contain one or more containers, which share the same network namespace and storage volumes. Containers within the same pod can communicate with each other using `localhost`.

4. Replica Sets and Deployments: These are controllers that manage the desired number of pod replicas and ensure they are running. They are used for scaling and rolling updates.

5. Services: Kubernetes services define a consistent way to access and expose applications running in pods. They can be used for load balancing, service discovery, and more.

6. Ingress: Ingress controllers and resources provide a way to manage access to services within the cluster from external networks.

7. ConfigMaps and Secrets: These are used to manage configuration data and sensitive information, like API keys or passwords, separately from the application code.

8. Namespaces: Kubernetes supports the concept of namespaces, which allows you to logically partition and isolate resources within a cluster. It's useful for multi-tenancy and organizing applications.

9. Kubelet: This is an agent that runs on each node in the cluster and is responsible for ensuring containers are running in a pod.

10. Master Node: The control plane, which consists of the Kubernetes master components, manages and oversees the cluster. It includes the API server, etcd (a key-value store for cluster data), the scheduler, and the controller manager.

11. kubectl: This is the command-line tool for interacting with a Kubernetes cluster. It allows you to create, modify, and manage resources in the cluster.

Kubernetes is highly extensible and can be integrated with a wide range of tools and services, making it a popular choice for managing containerized applications, microservices, and cloud-native workloads. It abstracts many of the complexities of managing containers and provides a unified platform for automating deployment, scaling, and operations in modern cloud-native environments.

Secret

A Secret is an object containing a small quantity of sensitive data, such as a password, token, or key. This information would typically be placed in a Pod specification or a container image. The use of a Secret allows for the exclusion of confidential data from application code.

Because Secrets can be created independently of the Pods that utilize them, there is a reduced risk of the Secret (and its data) being exposed during the workflow of creating, viewing, and editing Pods. Kubernetes and applications within the cluster can also implement additional precautions when working with Secrets, like avoiding the storage of sensitive data in nonvolatile storage.

Secrets share similarities with ConfigMaps but are specifically designed to store confidential data.

Custom Resource Definition

A custom resource is an object that extends the Kubernetes API or allows us to introduce our own API into a project or a cluster. A custom resource definition (CRD) file defines our own object kinds and lets the API Server handle the entire lifecycle.

Kubernetes Operator

A Kubernetes operator is a specialized method for packaging, deploying, and managing Kubernetes applications. It leverages Kubernetes API and tooling to create, configure, and automate complex application instances on behalf of users. Operators extend Kubernetes controllers and are equipped with domain-specific knowledge to handle the entire application lifecycle. They continuously monitor and maintain applications, and their actions can range from scaling and upgrading to managing various aspects of applications, such as kernel modules.

Operators utilize custom resources (CRs) defined by custom resource definitions (CRDs) to manage applications and components. They watch CR types and translate high-level user directives into low-level actions, adhering to best practices embedded in their logic. These custom resources can be managed through kubectl and included in role-based access control policies.

Operators make it possible to automate tasks that go beyond Kubernetes' built-in automation features, aligning with DevOps and site reliability engineering (SRE) practices. They encapsulate human operational knowledge into software, eliminating manual tasks and are typically created by those with expertise in the specific application's business logic.

The Operator Framework is a set of open-source tools that streamline operator development, offering an Operator SDK for building operators without deep Kubernetes API knowledge, Operator Lifecycle Management for overseeing operator installation and management, and Operator Metering for usage reporting in specialized services.

In summary, Kubernetes operators simplify the management of complex, stateful applications by encoding domain-specific knowledge into Kubernetes extensions, making the processes scalable, repeatable, and standardized. They are valuable for both application developers and infrastructure engineers, streamlining application deployment and management while reducing support burdens.

Nutanix Database Service

Introduction

Nutanix is a hybrid multicloud DBaaS for Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and MySQL. It efficiently and securely manages hundreds to thousands of databases along with powerful automation for provisioning, scaling, patching, protection, and cloning of database instances. NDB helps customers deliver database as a service (DBaaS) and an easy-to-use self-service database experience on-premises and public cloud to their developers for both new and existing databases.

Benefits

Simplified Database Management and Accelerated Software Development Across Multiple Clouds:

1. Automate laborious database administrative tasks without sacrificing control or flexibility.

2. Streamline database provisioning to make it simple, rapid, and secure, thereby supporting agile application development.

Enhanced Security and Consistency in Database Operations:

1. Automate database administration tasks to ensure the consistent application of operational and security best practices across your entire database fleet.

Expedited Software Development:

1. Empower developers to effortlessly deploy databases with minimal effort, directly from their development environments, facilitating agile software development.

Increased Focus for DBAs on High-Value Activities:

1. By automating routine administrative tasks, Database Administrators (DBAs) can allocate more time to activities of higher value, such as optimizing database performance and delivering new features to developers.

Preserved Control and Maintenance of Database Standards:

1. Select the appropriate operating systems, database versions, and extensions to meet specific application and compliance requirements while retaining control over your database environment.

Features

1. Database lifecycle management: Manage the entire database lifecycle, from provisioning and scaling to patching and cloning, for all your SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB databases.

2. Database management at scale: Manage hundreds to thousands of databases across on-premises, one or more public clouds, and colocation facilities, all from a single API and console.

3. Self-service database provisioning: Enable self-service provisioning for both dev/test and production use via API integration with popular infrastructure management and development tools like Kubernetes and ServiceNow.

4. Database protection and Compliance: Quickly roll out security patches across some or all your databases and restrict access to databases with role-based access controls to ensure compliance.

5. High Availability: Nutanix DBaaS typically includes high availability features to minimize database downtime and ensure continuous access to data.

Relevant Links

Github repository: https://github.com/ksjavali/ndb-operator

Team

Mentor

Nandini Mundra

Student Team

Kritika Javali (ksjavali@ncsu.edu)
Rahul Rajpurohit (rrajpu@ncsu.edu)
Sri Haritha Chalichalam (schalic@ncsu.edu)