How does Kubernetes differ from Docker?

Kubernetes and Docker are two popular technologies used in the world of containerization. While both technologies can be used together, they serve different purposes and are designed to solve different problems.

Docker is a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications using containerization technology. Kubernetes, on the other hand, is a container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. In other words, Docker provides a way to package and distribute containerized applications, while Kubernetes provides a way to manage and scale those containers in a production environment.

The first names that come to mind when discussing container technologies are Docker and Kubernetes. Which one is superior, you might wonder? Yet, it is frequently not a case of either/or, but rather how to best utilize both of them.

What is Docker?

Docker is a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications using containerization technology. It allows developers to create containers that package an application with all its dependencies, libraries, and configuration files, making it easy to deploy and run the application consistently across different environments. It uses a client-server architecture with simple commands and automation through a single API. 

With just Docker, managing and running containers at scale is difficult. A few of the things to take into account include coordinating and scheduling containers across numerous servers or clusters, upgrading or deploying apps with zero downtime, and keeping an eye on the health of containers.

Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and other container orchestration tools have been developed to address these issues. They enable businesses to properly balance loads, give authentication and security, support multi-platform deployment, and manage a large number of containers and users.

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What is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes, also known as K8s, is an open-source container orchestration platform designed to automate 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).

At its core, Kubernetes provides a way to manage and coordinate multiple containers, including load balancing, automatic scaling, and rolling updates. It enables users to deploy and manage containerized applications across a cluster of machines, abstracting away the underlying infrastructure and providing a consistent and reliable way to run applications.

Kubernetes uses a declarative approach to configuration, allowing users to define the desired state of the system and letting Kubernetes handle the details of achieving that state. It provides a powerful set of APIs and tools for managing containerized applications, including a command-line interface (CLI), a web-based dashboard, and an ecosystem of plugins and extensions.

With Kubernetes, developers, and operators can easily manage and scale containerized applications, reducing the complexity of deploying and managing applications in a distributed environment. It is widely used by organizations of all sizes and has become a de facto standard for container orchestration in the cloud-native ecosystem.

Although initially more difficult to set up, Kubernetes offers more flexibility and features. Also, a large and vibrant open-source community supports it. Kubernetes supports different deployment options out of the box, can handle your network ingress, and gives observability out of the box into your containers. Every large cloud provider offers managed Kubernetes services, which make it much simpler to get started and utilize cloud-native capabilities like auto-scaling. Kubernetes is probably the platform you should take into consideration if you are managing a lot of workloads, need cloud-native interoperability, and have many teams working together in your company.

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Final Takeaway

In conclusion, Kubernetes and Docker have separate functions, with Kubernetes being a tool for managing and orchestrating containers at scale, and Docker is a tool for building and maintaining containers. OneCompute engineers can assist you in designing a solution to handle the complexity of your distributed architecture as you scale, regardless of the container orchestration solution you use.

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