Delploy Cluster : Managed K8 & Self Managed K8

Self Managed K8 & Managed K8 

In a self-managed Kubernetes cluster, the user is responsible for managing almost every aspect of the cluster. Here are the main components that need to be managed by users:

1. Control Plane Components:

• Kube-apiserver: The API server is the central management point of the Kubernetes cluster. Users are responsible for setting up, configuring, and managing its availability and performance.
• Etcd: The key-value store used by Kubernetes for all cluster data. Users need to manage the deployment, backup, scaling, and recovery of etcd.
• Kube-scheduler: This component is responsible for scheduling pods on available nodes. Users manage its configuration and ensure it runs reliably.
• Kube-controller-manager: This component runs controller processes that handle replication, node management, endpoints, etc. Users are responsible for managing these controllers.

2. Worker Nodes Components:

• Kubelet: This agent runs on each worker node and is responsible for starting and stopping containers, as directed by the control plane. Users need to install, configure, and ensure that it remains up-to-date.
• Kube-proxy: Manages network routing for Kubernetes services on each worker node. Users are responsible for its configuration and operation.
• Container Runtime: Users manage the installation and maintenance of the container runtime (e.g., Docker, containerd), which runs the containers on each node.

3. Networking:

• CNI Plugins: Users must install and configure the Container Network Interface (CNI) plugins that manage pod networking. This could include Calico, Flannel, Weave, or other network plugins.
• Service Networking: Users must configure and manage service networking, including DNS, load balancers, and ingress controllers.

4. Storage:

• Persistent Volumes: Users are responsible for managing storage classes, persistent volumes, and persistent volume claims, ensuring that applications have the required storage resources.
• Storage Integration: For integration with external storage systems, users manage and configure the necessary plugins and drivers.

5. Security:

• Authentication and Authorization: Users must set up and manage authentication mechanisms (like RBAC, OIDC) and ensure that proper role-based access control (RBAC) policies are enforced.
• Certificates: Managing SSL/TLS certificates for securing communication between Kubernetes components and for exposing services securely is also the user's responsibility.
• Secrets Management: Users manage Kubernetes secrets and ensure they are securely stored and accessed.

6. Monitoring and Logging:

• Monitoring: Users must deploy and manage monitoring solutions like Prometheus, Grafana, and others to keep track of cluster health and performance.
• Logging: Managing logging infrastructure, such as the ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) or Fluentd, is also the user's responsibility.

7. Cluster Maintenance:

• Upgrades: Users are responsible for upgrading Kubernetes components, including the control plane, worker nodes, and associated tools.
• Backup and Disaster Recovery: Users need to implement and manage backup strategies for etcd and other critical components to ensure recovery in case of failures.
• Scaling: Managing the scaling of the cluster, including adding or removing nodes, is the user's responsibility.

Summary:

In a self-managed Kubernetes cluster, users are responsible for almost everything, from setting up and managing the control plane components to maintaining worker nodes, networking, storage, security, and monitoring. This gives users full control over the cluster but also requires a high level of expertise and effort to manage and maintain the environment.