VSHN.timer #23: Kubernetes Galore

Welcome to another VSHN.timer! Every Monday, 5 links related to Kubernetes, OpenShift, CI / CD, and DevOps; all stuff coming out of our own chat system, making us think, laugh, or simply work better.
This week we are going to finish this amazing 2019 with the latest news about Kubernetes.
1. Here at VSHN we are crazy about learning; remember our two recent VSHN.timer issues dedicated to the subject of learning? They were numbers 16 and 21. But we just can’t get enough! So for this edition, here go a few interesting links to learn more about Kubernetes: Kubernetes by Example, by the OpenShift team; an illustrated guide to Kubernetes networking; a checklist of Kubernetes production best practices; a visual guide to troubleshoot Kubernetes deployments; and how to export Kubernetes events for alerting! At this pace we should be releasing a VSHN.timer issue every day. Can’t keep up! (Oh and by the way, did we mention that Kubernetes 1.17 is out?)
http://kubernetesbyexample.com/
2. Kubernetes might have started as a single product, but it has now become a large family of software packages, collectively known as Kubernetes „distributions,“ somewhat akin to Linux distributions. These distributions can be certified for conformance, and there are literally a hundred of them! Some of them are small enough as to run in your laptop, while others are huge commercial offerings with great added value, such as OpenShift, NetApp Kubernetes Service, or Rancher. But how does this Kubernetes distribution thing work? How do you create one, and does certification matter? This recent article in LWN.net explains how it all works, why there isn’t a community-driven distribution, and why it matters.
https://lwn.net/Articles/806230/
3. The Alibaba Cloud Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) is one of the fastest growing Kubernetes services; we’ve even heard about some Swiss companies who are running deployments in it now! This article in the Cloud Native Foundation blog explains how they run, scale and manage thousands of clusters. Great insight into the operations of a large cloud provider.
https://www.cncf.io/blog/2019/12/12/demystifying-kubernetes-as-a-service-how-does-alibaba-cloud-manage-10000s-of-kubernetes-clusters/
4. What about our „fear of missing out“? With all these news, about Kubernetes this and Kubernetes that, it is hard not to feel the FOMA flow through our veins. The kind folks at Sysadvent reminded us recently that it is OK not to use Kubernetes. Jumping to the latest and greatest technology involves much more than just typing kubectl commands, and not all teams are prepared to handle the risk. Better yet, find the technology that works best for you and create great products with it! But of course, if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s another Sysadvent article about migrating a Rails app to Kubernetes.
https://sysadvent.blogspot.com/2019/12/day-10-it-ok-if-you-not-running.html
5. The tool of the week is kubectl doctor, a plugin for kubectl to scan your clusters to find any anomalies, reporting back useful action points in YAML format. Must have!
https://github.com/emirozer/kubectl-doctor
Do you run Kubernetes in production? If not, would you like to? How do you learn about cloud technologies? Get in touch with us through the form at the bottom of this page!
PS: Dear readers, we’re going to take a small break in VSHN.timer; see you in January 6th for the first edition of 2020! The VSHN.timer team sends you our best season’s greetings and thank you for your fidelity.