We use the solution to manage the containers efficiently.
Data Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy-to-use solution with a well-defined interface
Pros and Cons
- "It is a stable and scalable product."
- "They should make documentation simpler for learning."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution has a well-defined interface for every other function like network, CRA container, and run-time interfaces. It is fantastic as open-source software, very generic, and easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The solution's learning courses for the new users and developers must be easier to understand. Presently, they are very abstract, and it is challenging for users to find data.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for a year and a half.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is easily scalable. I rate it ten out of ten. Our technical team for the solution consists of ten executives. At the same time, there are two million end users.
How are customer service and support?
I took help from the solution's technical team for Stack Overflow. Their service was good, and I rate it ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We switched to Kubernetes for better scalability, maintenance, and administration.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup was straightforward. I've used Rancher Kubernetes engine to set the cluster. The deployment took two days to complete. The process involved downloading the binary file and configuring it to servers.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed the solution with the help of our in-house team. The team of three, including data engineers and data operations managers, execute maintenance for it.
What was our ROI?
I have seen a return on investment for the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We use the solution's open-source version.
What other advice do I have?
It is easy to maintain distributed systems and applications using the solution. Although, it requires a few new features to improve managing the volumes. I rate it ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Cloud Architect Freelancer at a tech services company with self employed
Helps to automize containers, is stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the platform is the ability to load some of the containers that were previously managed by humans."
- "There is not a large ecosystem surrounding Kubernetes, making it difficult to identify the right problem due to the vast number of solutions."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of the solution is container orchestration for a microservices-based architecture.
I worked on deployment in the cloud and on-premises.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has improved our organization by providing a computing layer abstraction between the cloud provider and on-premise. This has given us higher consistency in management and deployment strategies. The solution also reduces the effect of discrepancies between development and production environments.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the platform is the auto-healing and auto-scaling ability to offload to the platform tasks that were previously managed by humans.
What needs improvement?
There is a large ecosystem of products surrounding Kubernetes, making it difficult to identify the right solution due to the vast number of options.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is a stable mature platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling is a straightforward and standard process. With the integration provided by the cloud provider, we can even enable automatic scalability.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up without Kubernetes provider services is complex.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution a nine out of ten.
There is a large amount of overhead associated with maintenance, as we have to maintain everything from the operating system to the application. The cycle of updates and patches for the platform itself is very frequent, with a new version released every four months and various security patches in between. This makes the maintenance task very large if we have to do it ourselves.
The main benefit of Kubernetes is that it is currently the standard for container orchestration. Kubernetes is available across different cloud providers, providing consistency in management and portability that is not available with other products.
In the beginning, the solution may feel as if it has a lot of moving parts that are confusing and overwhelming.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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Lead Machine Learning Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Container orchestrator that deploys our machine learning solutions
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is that it's a container orchestrator. It has a huge user base and it is easily incorporated into all of the public clouds."
- "Security could be improved. It would be helpful if there were other security modules built into Kubernetes."
What is our primary use case?
We're using it to deploy our machine learning solutions.
Every public cloud has their own version of Kubernetes. For example, Google has its own version, which is known as the Google Kubernetes Engine. AWS has its own version, which is known as the Elastic Kubernetes Services, EKS.
Our entire data team is using the solution. It's between 2,000 and 3,000 people.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that it's a container orchestrator. It has a huge user base and it is easily incorporated into all of the public clouds. This is why we wanted to use Kubernetes.
What needs improvement?
Some of their services could be improved. Kubernetes deploys containers as ports, and there are some services required to communicate between the ports because communication isn't built into the ports by default.
I would also like to have Spark as another distributor service on Kubernetes.
Security could be improved. It would be helpful if there were other security modules built into Kubernetes. Security has to be implemented properly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Kubernetes for about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Kubernetes is a highly stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's highly scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't needed to contact technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was really easy. It depends on which public cloud you're using and whether you're setting it up yourself. If you're doing the deployment yourself, it takes some time.
With the public cloud, you just have to click a few options in the UI and then it's done. It doesn't take very much time to deploy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If you're using a public cloud, the cost depends on the number of nodes you are planning to deploy Kubernetes on. If you have two nodes, it's basically the runtime of these two nodes. With six nodes, it will be the runtime of all six.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution as 10 out of 10 because it doesn't have any competitors. It's a container orchestrator with a huge user base.
My advice is to make sure that the services are hooked up properly. If they aren't, your ports won't be able to properly communicate. Secondly, you should set up the entire cluster properly so that the nodes also communicate between each other. If some ports aren't open, then the nodes may not be able to communicate.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Oracle & Cassandra Database Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
An open-source container system for automating software deployment with a useful orchestration feature
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about Kubernetes is orchestration. It is very good. We will not see much downtime unless there are some human errors. We do not see much downtime or issues with the container or automation."
- "I'm a beginner, and I recently started working with Kubernetes. As of now, I don't see any bugs. However, it would be better if it could be deployed without coding."
What is our primary use case?
We use Kubernetes to run some content as SaaS-based applications, and there are a few more in the pipeline to migrate from the IBM MQ server and mounting to containerization.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about Kubernetes is orchestration. It is very good. We will not see much downtime unless there are some human errors. We do not see much downtime or issues with the container or automation.
What needs improvement?
I'm a beginner, and I recently started working with Kubernetes. As of now, I don't see any bugs. However, it would be better if it could be deployed without coding.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Kubernetes for about six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Kubernetes is stable for now. Since we are in the process of migrating, I cannot tell for sure. But my friends have been working on it and do not have any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Kubernetes is a scalable solution. That is the reason we do not see much downtime. It is always available as needed.
How was the initial setup?
Because I have an infrastructure background, it is difficult for me to code some parts. So, I depended on some experts here to deploy this solution. It is not very difficult for them.
What other advice do I have?
I would tell potential users that Kubernetes is a very good solution and they should use it.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Kubernetes a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
President at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
It provides a standardized way to deliver software in a scalable form
Pros and Cons
- "Kubernetes provides scalable clustering for containers and other means of deployment."
- "Kubernetes is incredibly complicated, so one area of improvement is the ease of administration. I would like a user interface that you can run to help you debug and diagnose problems and suggest how to configure things."
What is our primary use case?
We use Kubernetes to deploy a software solution that the company sells to enterprises. Originally, our company offered their software installed without Kubernetes, but they plan to move all future customers to Kubernetes. I would say it's extensively deployed, and they plan to increase it as much as their customer base will accept it.
How has it helped my organization?
Kubernetes provides a standardized way to deliver software in a scalable form. The customers of the software already have people who know how to manage Kubernetes, or they can easily hire employees who do. Packaging up the software to run would require a lot of specialized knowledge.
What is most valuable?
Kubernetes provides scalable clustering for containers and other means of deployment.
What needs improvement?
Kubernetes is incredibly complicated, so one area of improvement is the ease of administration. I would like a user interface that you can run to help you debug and diagnose problems and suggest how to configure things.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Kubernetes for about four months. I started using it at HPE and actually switched to be able to work more with it at the new place.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Kubernetes is generally stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Kubernetes is scalable if it's well-administered.
How are customer service and support?
As far as I know, there's not any customer support. There's customer support for the cloud instances. If you are running Amazon EKS, they might have support for that. It's open-source software, so there isn't Kubernetes support, but I could be completely wrong about that.
How was the initial setup?
The complexity depends on how you deploy it and what flavor you choose. If you're using a cloud provider like Google, AWS, or Azure, they each have a flavor of Kubernetes you can deploy. It is easier to deploy one of those than downloading and installing it on your servers. There's also something called K3S, a lightweight version of Kubernetes that can run much more easily. It's designed to be used in the Internet of Things. It's relatively scalable and can be used independently, but there are different packages, just like Linux has different distributions.
The maintenance required also depends on how you implement it. It's going to require at least one person who knows Kubernetes. I imagine it might need multiple people to maintain the solution if you're not using the cloud versions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Kubernetes is open source.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Kubernetes 8.5 out of 10. My advice is to hire people who have demonstrated experience or are prepared to spend significant time taking courses because it's deep and broad, and there's a lot to learn. It isn't straightforward, but it would be hard to simplify it, considering what it does.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
DevOps engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Has good autoscaling and resilience mechanisms features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Kubernetes have been autoscaling and its resilience mechanisms."
- "The platform could be more convenient to use."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to manage application deployment by troubleshooting and collecting logs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Kubernetes have been autoscaling and its resilience mechanisms.
What needs improvement?
The platform could be more convenient to use. While the Kubernetes CLI is powerful, the interface needs to be improved. The users often navigate between various third-party IDEs. Thus, a more consolidated or standardized interface could streamline the user experience, allowing easier access without the need to balance between multiple tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Kubernetes for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The platform is stable. However, it depends on the cloud configuration. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable. We have 20 Kubernetes users working on and deploying it. We plan to increase the usage.
How are customer service and support?
We contact Microsoft in case of any queries as we are working with Azure Kubernetes services.
How was the initial setup?
The complexity of the initial setup depends on Kubernetes services. It is easy to configure while working in an Azure environment. The Azure portal simplifies the process through configurations with tools like Terraform. It is complicated to create the platform on virtual machines and on-premise machines. We can deploy it within 20 to 30 minutes using data pipelines.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft provides reasonable costs for Kubernetes.
What other advice do I have?
I advise others to work with Kubernetes if they are developing or running the cloud native configuration. However, there are more cost-effective solutions. I rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Database Infrastructure Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Efficiently hosts databases and applications
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about Kubernetes is that most of the containerized applications are centralized."
- "There are several areas where Kubernetes could improve."
What is our primary use case?
At my company, we use Kubernetes to host our databases and applications. We work in the telecom domain, and our products use database technologies like Oracle, Postgres, and Cloudgres. We use Kubernetes to host NoSQL databases like Couchbase and Postgres and for some of our containerized applications. We are involved in multiple projects, not just a single one.
What is most valuable?
Kubernetes is a microservice. So, the best thing about Kubernetes is that most of the containerized applications are centralized. You don't need to develop specific company applications on top of container images. Kubernetes also provides flexibility in maintenance. It takes away most of the maintenance part, such as if a port crashes, it comes up automatically, making deployment very easy. We just need to run a few commands to deploy the application, and maintenance is taken care of by Kubernetes. Upgrading applications becomes smooth, requiring less effort and time.
Resource utilization, cost savings, and portability are additional advantages of Kubernetes. It is available in the public clouds, and portability becomes very easy. When it comes to networking, Kubernetes offers very flexible containerization with the added benefit of CSI.
What needs improvement?
There are several areas where Kubernetes could improve. For example, in one of our database projects, we needed a storage layer that would work on safer sites. Our application is a permanent one that requires low latency and is intensive in terms of networking. It works on every single URL and needs access to the database. After researching several solutions available in the market, we went with Portworx for the database back-end storage layer. However, we encountered an issue when we brought down one of the worker nodes in a cluster of three nodes. The pod that was hosted around that worker node was not responding on other worker nodes, even though it was responding. We found out that there was a feature in the alpha stages in the stable site that could have solved this issue, but we don't enable alpha features in our production environment. Therefore, we increased the replication factor in the storage layer from one to two to avoid this issue. Our application is latency-sensitive and demands low latency in terms of network and response time.
So, increasing a replica of the storage level will also cause double the I/O, which has additional costs involved. We did extensive research on that and found that the feature needs to be stabilized; certain improvements are required.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Kubernetes for around two years now, and I'm familiar with it. I worked closely with both the implementation team and the engineering team as well as the research and development team.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling up and down is easy in Kubernetes, so adding or removing worker nodes is simple and straightforward.
The engineering team uses it the most. We started with three projects, and now I can see around 150 to 200 people using it.
How are customer service and support?
There is a good support community available.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's free and open-source; anyone can use it. So there are no hidden fees or anything regarding Kubernetes.
What other advice do I have?
I would encourage you to start with Docker containers first, get the hang of it, and then move on to Kubernetes.
Understand the Docker concepts, software, container networking, and how container images are built. Once that's done, it becomes easy to enter into the Kubernetes world. Kubernetes is an orchestration tool that builds on top of Docker containerization.
I would rate it as excellent because it is very easy to deploy applications, manage ports, and expose applications both within and outside the cluster. Kubernetes also has a good reach and can be used in both private and public clouds, and there is plenty of support in terms of documentation and online forums to help users who run into any issues.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Kubernetes Consultant, Cloud Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Container management solution that is cost effective and offers fast performance
Pros and Cons
- "This solution is cost effective and fast. We are able to use Kubernetes to orchestrate hundreds of container images which has been a major benefit."
- "There is a feature called Terraform and, based on the reviews I have read, it could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
This is a container orchestration platform used to organize our containers. Most of our applications are developed containers. We need Kubernetes to manage the network and volumes. We had approximately 50 tech team members using this solution.
What is most valuable?
This solution is cost effective and fast. We are able to use Kubernetes to orchestrate hundreds of container images which has been a major benefit.
What needs improvement?
There is a feature called Terraform and, based on the reviews I have read, it could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
You can scale Kubernetes up and down easily.
How are customer service and support?
When it comes to support, we have mostly used the documentation provided for the solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward but you do need to know the basics. The speed and ease of the set up depends on how fast you want the application to be and the amount of traffic your application generates.
When I first started using Kubernetes, it was quite challenging. I would rate the set up a two and a half out of five.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Kubernetes is open source and is an orchestration platform. It is a cost effective solution and its pricing depends on your company and how you use it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated solutions like OpenShift and Rancher. The great thing about Openshift is that it is ready to use out of the box. When using Kubernetes, you have to set everything up on your own. Besides that, there are not many differences between Kubernetes and the other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
This is a very good registration platform. It saves costs and is fast. You can deploy thousands of replicas of your application all at once, as long as you have enough resources.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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