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Why Kubernetes On-Prem and a Glimpse into Our Setup

Introduction

Deploying a Kubernetes on-prem cluster may pose challenges, but it grants complete control over hardware, allowing customization of infrastructure to specific needs. Data is stored securely within our organization's premises, eliminating recurring costs for the same resources. Additionally, the setup allows for performance optimization and avoids network overhead.

let's see why we would need a Kubernetes on prem cluster.

Why Kubernetes On-Prem?

Embarking on the deployment of a Kubernetes cluster on-premises is undeniably accompanied by inherent challenges; however, there exist compelling scenarios that necessitate this strategic decision. The stringent demands of regulatory compliance, coupled with heightened security considerations, often drive organizations towards on-premises deployment. Furthermore, the seamless integration with pre-existing infrastructure and the pursuit of optimized performance, especially in scenarios requiring low-latency workloads, reinforce the appeal of on-premises Kubernetes deployment. In the intricate landscape of modern IT, these considerations collectively underscore the relevance of on-premises solutions despite their inherent complexities.

In-depth comparison of Kubernetes On-Prem and On-Cloud | When does Kubernetes on cloud won’t be the best solution?

How we deployed our own Kubernetes on-Prem cluster

When considering the deployment of a Kubernetes on-premises cluster, it's essential to take into account factors such as the storage provisioner, load balancing, cluster autoscaling, and high availability. We opted for a canonical stack to facilitate the deployment of our on-premises cluster, aiming to achieve automated cluster deployment and configure high availability seamlessly.

We leveraged MAAS (Metal as a Service) for infrastructure provisioning. MAAS is a robust tool that streamlines the deployment of physical servers, allowing for efficient management and provisioning in a data center or on-premises environment.

To orchestrate the cluster deployment, we employed Juju. Juju is a powerful application modeling tool that simplifies the management and scaling of complex software infrastructure. It facilitates the seamless deployment and integration of applications across various cloud and on-premises environments.

Now, let's delve into the steps and measures we undertook to successfully deploy our own Kubernetes on-premises cluster

Features provided by our on-premise Kubernetes cluster

  • Persistent Storage
    • We chose Ceph as our storage provisioner, leveraging Juju for both the deployment and configuration of the Ceph cluster. With features like storage pooling and replication, Ceph ensures a highly available storage provisioner, meeting our requirements for resilience and redundancy in the storage infrastructure.
  • High Availability
    • With Juju, we could deploy multiple control nodes, ensuring easy availability, and set up multiple etcd and Ceph servers for enhanced resilience and availability. This approach enhances the reliability of our infrastructure by distributing critical components across redundant nodes, minimizing the risk of single points of failure.
  • Cluster Autoscaling
    • Utilizing the Charmed Kubernetes Autoscaler, we've automated node autoscaling within our Kubernetes cluster, dynamically adding or removing worker nodes as needed. This not only ensures optimal resource utilization but also contributes to cost efficiency by automatically adjusting the cluster size based on workload demands. The autoscaler is a valuable tool for maintaining an agile and resource-efficient on-premises Kubernetes environment.
  • Load Balancing
    • With the integration of MetalLB as our load balancer, we enhance the scalability and distribution of network traffic within the cluster. MetalLB is a versatile load balancing solution designed for bare-metal Kubernetes deployments. It dynamically assigns external IP addresses to services, allowing for efficient load balancing and seamless traffic management across the Kubernetes nodes in our on-premises cluster.

Feel free to refer to our second article for a more in-depth exploration of why we opt for Kubernetes on-premises and a detailed comparison highlighting the distinctions between on-premises and cloud deployments.

Read the Article

Now, please head down to our video to delve a bit deeper into these topics and take a closer look at our deployed Kubernetes on-premises cluster.

📽️ Watch Video: Why Kubernetes On-Prem and a Glimpse into Our Setup

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