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Kubernetes learning roadmap

The roadmap for learning Kubernetes (k8s) is typically structured to move a learner from basic concepts to advanced operational topics.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 1: Conceptual Foundations

Before installation, it is recommended to understand the core concepts and architecture of the system.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

  • What is Kubernetes?: Understanding the system's role as a container orchestration mechanism.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Components: Knowledge of the control plane and node components.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 2: Installation and Environment Setup

After grasping the basics, the next step involves setting up a local cluster to familiarize oneself with the environment.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

  • Local Cluster Installation: Setting up a cluster locally, such as using Docker Desktop for Mac.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Dashboard: Deploying a GUI tool like Kubernetes Dashboard for easier visualization and management.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 3: Core Workloads and Services

This phase focuses on the fundamental objects used to run and manage applications.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

  • Pods: The smallest deployable units in Kubernetes.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Services: An abstraction to define a logical set of Pods and a policy to access them.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Deployments: Managing application updates and replica sets.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Pod Lifecycle: Understanding the phases of a Pod from creation to termination.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Ingress: Managing external access to services, typically HTTP.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Kubectl: Mastering the command-line tool for controlling clusters.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 4: Storage and Configuration

As applications persist data, understanding storage and configuration management becomes necessary.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

  • Volume Basics: Understanding how containers store data.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • EmptyDir: A volume type that is created when a Pod is assigned to a node.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • ConfigMap: Mechanisms to inject configuration data into containers.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Secrets: Managing sensitive information, such as passwords and OAuth tokens.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • PV & PVC: Persistent Volumes and Persistent Volume Claims for managing storage lifecycle.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 5: Resource Management

Learning how to effectively manage and allocate compute resources within the cluster.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

  • Requests and Limits: Defining the minimum and maximum resources a container can use.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Namespaces: Mechanisms to isolate resources within a single cluster.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • LimitRange: Policies to constrain resource allocations per Pod or Container.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Metrics Server: Installing the cluster-wide aggregator of resource usage data.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 6: Autoscaling

Implementing mechanisms to ensure applications can handle load variations automatically.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

  • Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA): Automatically scaling the number of pods based on Metrics like CPU utilization.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]
  • Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA): Automatically updating the resource requests and limits on containers.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md]

Phase 7: Advanced Ecosystem and Operations

Once the core foundations are mastered, the learning path extends to the broader cloud-native ecosystem and operational maturity.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day30__README.md]

  • Templating (Helm): Using package managers like Helm to manage Kubernetes applications through reusable charts, reducing configuration duplication across environments.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day30__README.md]
  • Service Mesh (Istio): Implementing a modern service network layer for managing traffic between services, providing features like traffic management, load balancing, and Tracing.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day30__README.md]
  • Monitoring (Grafana & Prometheus): Adopting standard solutions for resource monitoring and log aggregation to handle the complexity of microservices.^[400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day30__README.md]
  • DevOps
  • [[Microservices]]
  • [[Docker]]

Sources

  • 400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day1__README.md
  • 400-devops__06-Kubernetes__k8s-ithelp__Day30__README.md