Kubernetes, popularly known as K8 or ‘kube’, is an open-source platform to manage and automate the manual processes involved in deploying and scaling containerized applications.
In simpler words, Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform that allows you to conveniently manage and cluster groups of hosts running Ubuntu containers. It makes things much easier to implement and rely on a container-based infrastructure in production environments.
Are you trying to learn Kubernetes? If yes then you have found the best place on the internet to learn about all the nitty-gritty of Kubernetes. Go through the article to check out why and how to learn the popular container orchestration platform.
Why should you Learn Kubernetes?
Kubernetes comes with a large ecosystem that can lead engineering workflows to major productivity gains. If you have an interest in developing and working for businesses that use exciting modern technologies, then learning Kubernetes can shape your career to a new mold.
As per the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2019, Kubernetes is the 3rd most loved platform among modern development technologies. Basically, it’s a future-proof solution. Therefore, if you are looking to learn Kubernetes so that you can implement it on your system, you are on the right path. Apart from that, learning the Kubernetes can be highly beneficial on the job front too. The reasons are pretty simple:
- The prime cloud vendors are already ensuring full support to this open-source platform by providing several out-of-the-box solutions.
- As far as implementation and adaptability of an alternative container orchestration solution are concerned, there is no match to Kubernetes. In fact, there are major names like Docker, who was previously focusing on developing competing technologies but now endorsing Kubernetes.
- The whole ecosystem is rapidly growing. New products are being released almost every day for the platform.
Prerequisites for Learning Kubernetes
A basic understanding of virtualization or how containers work can come in handy if you are willing to learn Kubernetes. Apart from that, you can enroll yourself in Kubernetes beginner-level learning programs if you have any of the following experiences:
- Full-stack development experience.
- Experience in managing storage, database, and monitoring applications.
- Knowledge of Linux and command-line interface.
- Experience with Docker.
- Familiarity with the Container Runtime Interface.
How to Learn Kubernetes?
If you already have some experience with Linux and the basic command-line interface then you don’t need to invest much time in learning Kubernetes. It’s more of the applications which are going to help you with the learning process.
Here we have mentioned some free and paid tutorials that will help you to gain basic knowledge of Kubernetes. Check out our list of top 5 tutorials to learn Kubernetes:
Top 5 Tutorials to Learn Kubernetes
1) Kubernetes for the Absolute Beginners – Hands-on (Udemy)
If you are at the very start of your career as a DevOps engineer and looking to learn the deployment of Kubernetes from scratch, then this course can be the best one for you.
Solutions Architect and Developer Mumshad Mannambeth have created this Kubernetes learning program. The whole program consists of 44 lectures, 1 supplemental resource, 10 articles, and 37 coding exercises.
Each video lecture in the Udemy course is well-paced and explains certain Kubernetes concepts in detail. It makes learning the basics much easier for you. The best part is that the course comes replete with exercises that can help you understand the video course better. Not only that, the exercises ensure building better development and deployment skills.
Main USPs:
- Thorough and elaborative concept coverage.
- Deployment lessons and applications.
- Avid importance is given to hands-on experience.
- Develop configuration files in YAML.
- Available at a nominal fee.
2) Getting Started with Google Kubernetes Engine (Coursera)
This program offered by Google Cloud is available for free on Coursera. The course is part of the certificate program of SRE and DevOps Engineer with Google Cloud Professional Certificate. It consists of 34 videos and will take approximately 13 hours to complete.
You can learn all the basics of Kubernetes as the course focuses on the fundamentals of the Kubernetes engine. If you are already having a career as an application developer, DevOps engineer, IT manager, or cloud solutions architect this course is perfect for you.
Having the knowledge of fundamental command-line tools, a Linux operating system, and web server technologies are essential for smoothly learning this course.
Main USPs:
- Enough practical examples throughout the lecture.
- Fun and interactive video learning sessions.
- Well-constructed course map.
- A good amount of theoretical and practical assignments.
- Shareable certificates.
3) Scalable Microservices with Kubernetes (Udacity)
This is yet another free course available on Udacity that is offered by Google. If you have a background in development or operations and an interest in managing container-based frameworks with Kubernetes, then you should enroll in this course.
The course talks about the containerization of an application by making Docker config files and building processes that can produce all the required Docker images. Not only that, but you can also learn about configuring and launching a self-healing, auto-scaling Kubernetes cluster.
By taking part in this program, you can also learn how to use Kubernetes to manage deployment processes, scaling, and updating several applications related to it.
You can take part in this program if you are familiar with Linux command-line tools, have an in-depth knowledge of at least one programming language, and, of course, are comfortable with general virtualization concepts.
Main USPs:
- Offers learning experience of 12-factor applications and microservices design frame.
- Allows using Docker to construct container images.
- Learn Kubernetes deployment concepts in-depth.
- Plenty of exercises.
- Designed by industry experts.
4) Getting Started with Kubernetes (Pluralsight)
Pluralsight also has an amazing course on Kubernetes for beginners dubbed Getting Started with Kubernetes. The course is developed by popular tech author and Docker expert Nigel Poulton.
The Kubernetes course consists of 9 videos with a total watch time of around 3 hours. In addition to thoroughly explaining Kubernetes fundamentals, the course also lets you dive into the Kubernetes architecture.
Also, you can learn how to work with pods and deployment of Kubernetes. To get access to this course, you need to have a Pluralsight membership that costs around $29 per month.
Main USPs:
- Much affordable than the other available courses.
- Good for beginners with minimal knowledge.
- Interactive learning sessions.
- Organized course structure for fast-paced learning.
5) Learning Kubernetes (Linkedin)
If you have the basic knowledge of Linux command-line interface and are looking to build your career as a DevOps engineer, then this intermediate-level course from Linkedin is the perfect fit for you.
The Kubernetes course created by the veteran developer and engineer Karthik Gaekwad consists of a detailed explanation regarding how to get started with Kubernetes.
The free tutorial consists of 6 video lectures, and the total watch time is about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Each chapter includes a fair amount of quizzes and exercises to ensure in-depth learning. If you have a Linkedin Premium account, you can access the course for free.
Main USPs:
- All the lectures consist of thorough explanations.
- Both online and offline practice tests are available with each video session.
- Well-organized.
- Features free study material.
Kubernetes Official Documentation
Once you go through one or many of these tutorials, you will gain the basics of Kubernetes. To further progress, the official documentation can be of great help.
The official Kubernetes documentation will come in handy, mainly when you will practice the deployment of Kubernetes. Since you are not a complete newbie as a coder, you can pull off a lot of information from the documentation itself.
Interview Questions for Kubernetes
Once you are done with the Kubernetes course(s), you can try to build some projects to practice and make the learning much more effective.
After getting yourself certified as a Kubernetes professional, it’s time to look for a job. You can consider the following type of questions in your job interview. Have a look now.
Question: What is Kubernetes?
Answer: Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform originally built by Google. They decided to donate it to the CNCF(Cloud Native Computing Foundation) in the year 2015.
Question: How are Docker and Kubernetes different?
Answer: The fundamental difference between Kubernetes and Docker is that Kubernetes is supposed to run on a cluster while Docker runs across a single node. In simpler words, Docker is a containerization platform, while Kubernetes works as a container orchestrator for platforms like Docker.
Question: What is a node in Kubernetes?
Answer: Node is the fundamental unit of computing hardware. In a cluster, a node portrays a single machine that can be a virtual machine provided by a cloud provider or an actual physical machine in a data center.
In a Kubernetes cluster, each machine can substitute the other. The Kubernetes professionals control the nodes consisting of containers.
Question: What does it mean by container orchestration?
Answer: Container orchestration is the process of automating and managing or scheduling the work of individual containers for microservices applications in multiple clusters.
Businesses which require to deploy hundreds of Linux containers can be benefited from the container orchestration process. By using container orchestration, you can deploy the same application across various environments without redesigning them.
Question: What is kubectl?
Answer: Kubectl is the command-line tool of Kubernetes. You can use Kubectl to run commands in Kubernetes clusters. You can manage cluster resources, deploy applications, and view logs with it.
Question: How does Kube-scheduler work?
Answer: Kube-scheduler works as the default scheduler for Kubernetes. It’s the control plan process that assigns pods to nodes.
Question: What is Kube-proxy?
Answer: Kube-proxy helps to implement the Kubernetes Service concept by working as a network proxy that runs through each Node inside your cluster. It is responsible for routing traffic to the appropriate container based on IP.
Question: What is Kubelet?
Answer: Kubelet is the principal ‘node agent,’ which runs through each node. It maintains the set of pods composed of one or more containers on a local system. Kubelet works through the Kubernetes API server as a local agent and watches for pod specs.
Wrapping Up
We hope you have found this article insightful and knowledgeable. We have mentioned all the details that you must know to start learning Kubernetes. Currently, the resources mentioned above are the best that you can get from the market.
On the last note, the official Kubernetes documentation can have a significant impact on how you are learning Kubernetes. Building a simple project yourself and expanding it gradually, is also a great idea to master your skills on Kubernetes. All the best!