What Is Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

It helps teams run reliable services in production without manually managing each container.

Pods, Nodes, and Clusters

  • Pod: the smallest deployable unit, usually one application container
  • Node: a machine (virtual or physical) that runs pods
  • Cluster: a group of nodes managed by Kubernetes control plane

These three concepts are foundational for every Kubernetes workflow.

Deployments

A Deployment defines desired state for an application, including image version and replica count. Kubernetes keeps actual state aligned with that desired configuration.

kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml
kubectl get deployments
kubectl rollout status deployment/my-app

Scaling Applications

Kubernetes supports horizontal scaling by increasing pod replicas.

kubectl scale deployment my-app --replicas=5

This is essential for handling traffic spikes while keeping services stable.

Why Kubernetes Is Used

  • Automated rollouts and rollbacks
  • Self-healing for failed containers
  • Service discovery and load balancing
  • Consistent operations across cloud environments

Keep Going

Combine Docker and Kubernetes skills to build production-ready platforms.

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