Containerization with Kubernetes

Course Description

This course trains participants to orchestrate and manage containers at scale, using Kubernetes to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications while ensuring their availability and performance in cloud or on-premises environments.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Understand Kubernetes fundamentals: explore Kubernetes architecture and its core components (Pods, Services, Namespaces, etc.).
Set up a Kubernetes cluster: deploy a local cluster with Minikube or on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Manage containerized applications: deploy, update, and scale applications on Kubernetes.
Automate deployments with YAML manifests: master creating and using Kubernetes configuration files to automate resource deployment.
Ensure high availability and resilience: use deployment strategies (replicas, liveness probes, etc.) to guarantee application reliability.
Optimize resource management: manage pod resources (CPU, memory) and use Namespaces to organize environments.
Monitor and troubleshoot a Kubernetes cluster: discover monitoring tools and best practices to diagnose cluster issues.

Who Is This Course For?

The course is intended for a broad audience, including:
Developers: wishing to understand how to containerize their applications and use Kubernetes to orchestrate containers at scale.
System Administrators: wanting to learn how to deploy, manage, and monitor Kubernetes clusters in production environments.
DevOps Engineers: seeking to automate deployment, management, and scaling of applications using Kubernetes in CI/CD pipelines.
Cloud Architects: interested in designing scalable, resilient cloud architectures using Kubernetes for container orchestration.
IT Project Managers: looking to gain practical skills to manage Kubernetes-based projects and optimize development and deployment processes.
Business Leaders

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of information systems.

Course Outline

The course is structured around several main modules:
Introduction to Kubernetes and Cluster Management

• Introduction to Kubernetes
• What is Kubernetes and why use it?
• History and evolution of Kubernetes
• Use cases and benefits in production environments

Kubernetes Architecture

• Core components: the control plane (master) and worker nodes
• Description of Kubernetes objects: Pods, Services, Deployments, Namespaces
• Pod lifecycle and container management
• Kubernetes API and kubectl: interact with the cluster

Node and Cluster Management

• Understanding node management (worker nodes, master/control plane)
• Adding and removing nodes in a cluster
• Node configuration and maintenance
• Monitoring the health of nodes and pods

Installing and Configuring a Kubernetes Cluster

• Choosing the installation tool (Minikube, kubeadm, or cloud solutions like EKS, AKS, GKE)
• Setting up a local cluster with Minikube or on a cloud
• Initial Kubernetes configuration: kubeconfig, context, and Namespaces
• Verifying the installation: using kubectl to interact with the cluster

Creating and Managing Pods and Services

• Deploying a simple Pod and understanding the YAML manifest
• Exposing applications with Kubernetes Services (ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer)
• Resource operations: updating Pods, managing volumes
• Managing network connectivity between Pods with Services

Scaling and Resource Management

• Manual and automatic scaling of Pods with kubectl scale
• Introduction to the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA)
• Resource management: CPU/Memory requests and limits
• Cluster performance optimization strategies

Application Orchestration and Deployment Updates

• Orchestration with Kubernetes
• Deploying applications with Deployment objects
• Understanding ReplicaSets and their role in managing Pods
• Updates and revision management with kubectl rollout
• Configuring probes (Liveness, Readiness, Startup) to ensure application availability

Update Strategies and Deployment Management

• Rolling updates: deploy new versions without service interruption
• Rollbacks: restore a previous version when needed
• Blue/Green Deployments and Canary Releases: advanced strategies for updating applications

Persistent Storage Management

• Introduction to Persistent Volumes (PV) and Persistent Volume Claims (PVC)
• Storage types in Kubernetes: local storage, NFS, Cloud Storage
• Dynamic provisioning of volumes: configuring a StorageClass

Resource Optimization and Performance Management

• Advanced resource management: requests and limits for containers
• Pod affinities and anti-affinities for better resource placement
• Performance diagnostics: monitor Pods and nodes with kubectl top and third-party tools like Prometheus

Introduction to Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

• CI/CD concepts: why and how to integrate them with Kubernetes
• Automated deployment with tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or Argo CD
• Example CI/CD pipelines to deploy an application to Kubernetes
• Using Helm to simplify deployment of complex applications

Course Benefits

Alternating theory and practice for better concept retention.
Specialized instructors with real-world Kubernetes experience.
Modern learning resources and live demonstrations.
Accessible training without advanced technical prerequisites.

Teaching Methods and Tools Used

Live demonstrations on using Kubernetes.
Real-world case studies and hands-on labs.
Discussions on industry best practices.
Project management tools for tracking and feedback.

Assessment

• Multiple-choice quiz at the end of the course.
• Practical case studies.
• Ongoing assessment with personalized feedback.

Normative References

• Cloud Providers’ Well-Architected Framework
• ISO/IEC 19086
• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• NIST Cloud Computing Standards (SP 500-292)
• ISO 27001 Information Security