KubeFM

Rebuilding my homelab: suffering as service, with Xe iaso Nov 19, 2024

Xe Iaso shares their journey in building a "compute as a faucet" home lab where infrastructure becomes invisible and tasks can be executed without manual intervention. The discussion covers everything from operating system selection to storage architecture and secure access patterns.

You will learn:

How to evaluate operating systems for your home lab — from Rocky Linux to Talos Linux, and why minimal, immutable operating systems are gaining traction.
How to implement a three-tier storage strategy combining Longhorn (replicated storage), NFS (bulk storage), and S3 (cloud storage) to handle different workload requirements.
How to secure your home lab with certificate-based authentication, WireGuard VPN, and proper DNS configuration while protecting your home IP address.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Nutanix — innovate faster with a complete and open cloud-native stack for all your apps and data anywhere.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/rebuilding-homelab-xe
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

The hater's guide to Kubernetes, with Paul Butler Nov 12, 2024

If you're trying to make sense of when to use Kubernetes and when to avoid it, this episode offers a practical perspective based on real-world experience running production workloads.

Paul Butler, founder of Jamsocket, discusses how to identify necessary vs unnecessary complexity in Kubernetes and explains how his team successfully runs production workloads by being selective about which features they use.

You will learn:

The three compelling reasons to use Kubernetes are managing multiple services across machines, defining infrastructure as code, and leveraging built-in redundancy.
Why to be cautious with features like CRDs, StatefulSets, and Helm and how to evaluate if you really need them.
How to stay on the "happy path" in Kubernetes by focusing on stable and simple resources like Deployments, Services, and ConfigMaps.
When to consider alternatives like Google Cloud Run for simpler deployments that don't need the full complexity of Kubernetes

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Syntasso, the creators of Kratix, a framework for building composable internal developer platforms

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/kubernetes-hater-s-guide-paul
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Kubernetes webhooks explained and Aspect Oriented Programming, with Gordon Myers Nov 05, 2024

This episode explores Admission Controllers and Webhooks with Gordon Myers, who shares his experience implementing webhook solutions in production. Gordon explains the lifecycle of Kubernetes API requests and how webhooks can intercept and modify resources before they are stored in etcd.

You will learn:

How the Kubernetes API processes requests through authentication, authorization, and Admission Controllers.
The difference between Validating and Mutating webhooks and how to implement them using JSON Patch.
Best practices for testing webhooks and avoiding common pitfalls that can break cluster deployments.
Real-world examples of webhook implementations, including injecting secrets from HashiCorp Vault into containers.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — get started on your Kubernetes journey through comprehensive online, in-person or remote training.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/webhooks-aop-gordon
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

98% faster data imports in deployment previews, with Nick Nikitas Oct 29, 2024

Are you facing challenges with pre-production environments in Kubernetes?

This KubeFM episode shows how to implement efficient deployment previews and solve data seeding bottlenecks.

Nick Nikitas, Senior Platform Engineer at Blueground, shares how his team transformed their static pre-production environments into dynamic previews using ArgoCD Application Sets, Wave and Velero.

He explains their journey from managing informal environment sharing between teams to implementing a scalable preview system that reduced environment creation time from 19 minutes to 25 seconds.

You will learn:

How to implement GitOps-based preview environments with Argo CD Application Sets and PR generators for automatic environment creation and cleanup.
How to control cloud costs with TTL-based termination and FIFO queues to manage the number of active preview environments.
How to optimize data seeding using Velero, AWS EBS snapshots, and Kubernetes PVC management to achieve near-instant environment creation.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Loft Labs — simplify Kubernetes with vCluster, the leading solution for Kubernetes multi-tenancy and cost savings.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/deployment-previews-nick
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

When Kubernetes and Go don't work well together, with Emin Laletović Oct 22, 2024

Discover how a seemingly simple 502 error in Kubernetes can uncover complex interactions between Go and containerized environments.

Emin Laletović, a solution architect at Hybird Technologies, shares his experience debugging a production issue in which a specific API endpoint failed due to out-of-memory errors.

He walks through the systematic investigation process, from initial log checks to uncovering the root cause in Go's memory management within Kubernetes.

You will learn:

How Go's garbage collector interacts with Kubernetes resource limits, potentially leading to unexpected OOMKilled errors.
The importance of the GOMEMLIMIT environment variable in Go 1.19+ for managing memory usage in containerized environments.
Debugging techniques for memory-related issues in Kubernetes, including GODEBUG for garbage collector tracing.
Considerations for optimizing Go applications in Kubernetes, balancing performance and resource utilization.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by StormForge – Double your Kubernetes resource utilization and unburden developers from sizing complexity with the first HPA-compatible vertical pod rightsizing solution. Try it for free.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/kubernetes-go-emin
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Declarative configuration and the Kubernetes Resource Model, with Brian Grant Oct 15, 2024

This episode offers a rare glimpse into the design decisions that shaped the world's most popular container orchestration platform.

Brian Grant, CTO of ConfigHub and former tech lead on Google's Borg team discusses the Kubernetes Resource Model (KRM) and its profound impact on the Kubernetes ecosystem.

He explains how KRM's resource-centric API patterns enable Kubernetes' flexibility and extensibility and influence the entire cloud native landscape.

You will learn:

How the Kubernetes API evolved from inconsistency to a uniform structure, enabling support for thousands of resource types.
Why Kubernetes' self-describing resources and Server-side Apply simplify client implementations and configuration management.
The evolution of Kubernetes configuration tools like Helm, Kustomize, and GitOps solutions.
Current trends and future directions in Kubernetes configuration, including potential AI-driven enhancements.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by StormForge – Double your Kubernetes resource utilization and unburden developers from sizing complexity with the first HPA-compatible vertical pod rightsizing solution. Try it for free.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/krm-brian
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Comparing GitOps: Argo CD vs Flux CD, with Andrei Kvapil Oct 08, 2024

Dive into the world of GitOps and compare two of the most popular tools in the CNCF landscape: Argo CD and Flux CD.

Andrei Kvapil, CEO and Founder of Aenix, breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of Argo CD and Flux CD, helping you understand which tool might best fit your team's needs.

You will learn:

The different philosophies behind the tools.
How they handle access control and deployment restrictions.
Their trade-offs in usability and conformance to infrastructure as code.
Why there is no one-size-fits-all in the GitOps world.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by DigitalOcean — learn how GPUs for DigitalOcean Kubernetes can enable your AI/ML workloads.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/flux-vs-argo-andrei
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Kubernetes is simple: it's just Linux, with Eric Jalal Oct 01, 2024

Eric Jalal, an independent consultant and Kubernetes developer, explains how Kubernetes is fundamentally built on familiar Linux features. He discusses why understanding Linux is crucial for working with Kubernetes and how this knowledge can simplify your approach to cloud-native technologies.

You will learn:

Why Eric considers Kubernetes to be "just Linux" and how it wraps existing Linux technologies.
The importance of understanding Linux fundamentals (file systems, networking, storage).
How Kubernetes provides a standard and consistent interface for managing Linux-based infrastructure.
Why learning Linux deeply can make Kubernetes adoption an incremental step rather than a giant leap

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — get started on your Kubernetes journey through comprehensive online, in-person or remote training.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/kubernetes-just-linux-eric
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Configuring requests & limits with the HPA at scale, with Alexandre Souza Sep 24, 2024

Alexandre Souza, a senior platform engineer at Getir, shares his expertise in managing large-scale environments and configuring requests, limits, and autoscaling.

He explores the challenges of over-provisioning and under-provisioning and discusses strategies for optimizing resource allocation using tools like Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) and Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA).

You will learn:

How to set appropriate resource requests and limits to balance application performance and cost-efficiency in large-scale Kubernetes environments.
Strategies for implementing and configuring Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA), including scaling policies and behavior management.
The differences between CPU and memory management in Kubernetes and their impact on workload performance.
Techniques for leveraging tools like KubeCost and StormForge to automate resource optimization.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by VictoriaMetrics - request a free trial for VictoriaMetrics enterprise today.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/hpa-at-scale-alex
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Tortoise: outpacing the optimization challenges in Kubernetes, with Kensei Nakada Sep 17, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Kensei Kanada discusses Tortoise, an open-source project he developed at Mercari to tackle Kubernetes resource optimization challenges. He explains the limitations of existing solutions like Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) and Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA), and how Tortoise aims to provide a more comprehensive and automated approach to resource management in Kubernetes clusters.

You will learn:

The complexities of resource optimization in Kubernetes, including the challenges of managing HPA, VPA, and manual tuning of resource requests and limits
How Tortoise automates resource optimization by replacing HPA and VPA, reducing the need for manual intervention and continuous tuning
The technical implementation of Tortoise, including its use of Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and how it interacts with existing Kubernetes components
Strategies for adopting and migrating to new tools like Tortoise in a large-scale Kubernetes environment

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — estimate the perfect cluster node with the Kubernetes Instance Calculator

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/tortoise-kensei
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

How we are managing a container platform with Kubernetes, with Ángel Barrera Sánchez Sep 10, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Ángel Barrera discusses Adidas' strategic shift to a GitOps-based container platform management system, initiated in May 2022, and its impact on their global infrastructure.

You will learn:

The initial state and challenges: Understand the complexities and inefficiencies of Adidas' pre-GitOps infrastructure.
The transition process: Explore the steps and strategies used to migrate to a GitOps-based system, including tool changes and planning.
Technical advantages: Learn about the benefits of the pull mechanism, unified configuration, and improved visibility into cluster states.
Developer and business feedback: Gain insights into the feedback from developers and the business side, and how they were convinced to invest in the migration.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by ControlPlane — empower your Kubernetes deployments with ControlPlane Enterprise for Flux CD.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/platform-gitops-angel
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

The basics of observing Kubernetes: a bird-watcher's perspective, with Miguel Luna Sep 03, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Miguel Luna discusses the intricacies of Observability in Kubernetes, including its components, tools, and future trends.

You will learn:

The fundamental components of Observability: metrics, logs, and traces, and their roles in understanding system performance and health.
Key tools and projects: insights into Keptn and OpenTelemetry and their significance in the Observability ecosystem.
The integration of AI technologies: how AI is shaping the future of Observability in Kubernetes.
Practical steps for implementing Observability: starting points, what to monitor, and how to manage alerts effectively.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — estimate the perfect cluster node with the Kubernetes Instance Calculator

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/observability-kubernetes-miguel
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Abusing Distroless containers: shell commands on shell-less containers, with Harsha Koushik Aug 27, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Harsha explores the intricacies of Kubernetes security, focusing on the benefits and misconceptions of Distroless container images and the broader aspects of container security.

You will learn:

The advantages and limitations of Distroless container images: understand why these images are smaller, have a reduced attack surface and are not inherently secure.
Best practices for container security: gain insights into selecting base images, managing dependencies, and fortifying your infrastructure at every layer.
Supply chain security: explore how the supply chain can be an attack vector and the importance of signing artifacts and validating sources.
Emerging Kubernetes tools and future projects: discover the latest tools Harsha is monitoring and get a sneak peek into his upcoming projects, including a new podcast and a tool for simulating multistage attacks in cloud-native environments.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — estimate the perfect cluster node with the Kubernetes Instance Calculator

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/abusing-distroless-harsha
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

The ticking supply chain attack bomb of exposed Kubernetes secrets, with Assaf Morag and Yakir Kadkoda Jun 18, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Yakir and Assaf from Aqua Security explore how a robust Kubernetes secrets strategy is necessary to prevent leaks and maintain a strong security posture.

You will learn:

How Kubernetes secrets are leaked, and what tools can you use to prevent that (Hint: Yakir and Assaf suggested using more than one.)
How shadow IT is a more significant threat you might think and why companies should monitor personal Github repositories.
What happens when a secret is leaked and how attackers exploit your resources (or further gain access to more).

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Isovalent — watch the top Kubernetes security use cases that Tetragon and eBPF cover for platform teams

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/exposed-secrets-yakir-assaf
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

From 0 to 10k builds a week with self-hosted Jenkins on Kubernetes, with Stéphane Goetz Jun 11, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Stéphane shares his journey of migrating, optimizing and scaling Jenkins in Kubernetes.

He discusses the technical challenges, solutions, and strategies employed.

You will learn:

How Jenkins on Kubernetes was scaled to handle 10,000 weekly builds.
How they started their journey in 2015 and how the cluster has evolved in the past nine years.
The challenges of managing builds in Jenkins: Docker in Docker, Docker out of Docker and KubeVirt.
The lessons learned in created ephemeral environments.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by CloudBees — learn how to use Kubernetes pods as Jenkins agents

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/10k-builds-jenkins-stephane
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Platform engineering: learning from the Kubernetes API, with Sven Hans Knecht Jun 04, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Hans, a Principal Cloud engineer, shares his experiences empowering teams to use, build and manage platforms built on Kubernetes.

You will learn:

How OpenTelemetry and Prometheus shape cluster management and observability.
The role of tools like ArgoCD and Flux in enabling GitOps and streamlining deployment processes.
The significance of governance tools such as Gatekeeper and OPA for secure and validated resource creation.
The benefits of Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and operators in automating processes and enhancing the developer experience.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Sysdig — 5 Steps to Securing Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/platform-engineering-hans
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Hacking Alibaba Cloud's Kubernetes cluster, with Ronen Shustin and Hillai Ben-Sasson May 28, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Hillai and Ronen, security researchers at Wiz, explore the intricacies of hacking Alibaba Cloud's Kubernetes cluster.

They share their experiences and insights on identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities, mainly focusing on misconfigurations and their impact on cloud security.

You will learn:

How Hillai and Ronen gained access to a Kubernetes cluster through a Postgres database.
How they moved laterally and managed to obtain push and pull rights to a private container registry.
Recommendations for securing multi-tenant Kubernetes clusters and maintaining environment hygiene.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/hacking-alibaba-ronen-hillai
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

CoreDNS will fail you at scale (with default settings), with Mohamed Hamdan Faris S M May 21, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Faris shares his experience managing CoreDNS and scaling Kubernetes clusters with 900 nodes and 15k pods.

He shares the challenges and solutions encountered during an incident, providing valuable insights into maintaining a robust Kubernetes environment.

You will learn:

The importance of scaling the Kubernetes control plane for large clusters.
Strategies for optimizing CoreDNS to ensure efficient DNS resolution and prevent incidents.
The pros and cons of using VictoriaMetrics versus Prometheus for monitoring and observability.
Tips for maintaining a calm and effective team dynamic during high-stress situations.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Datadog — a single, unified platform for monitoring CoreDNS alongside the rest of your stack. Try it free for 14 days and get a free t-shirt

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/coredns-scaling-farris
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

The best operating system for Kubernetes, with Mircea-Pavel Anton May 14, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Mircea shares his journey of migrating a home lab to Kubernetes, specifically choosing Talos over other operating systems like Ubuntu, Flatcar, or Bottlerocket.

Mircea also discusses his decision-making process and experiences in setting up and optimizing his Kubernetes home lab.

You will learn:

What is Talos Linux and how it compares to other operating systems.
The challenges and considerations involved in migrating to Kubernetes, including selecting network plugins and GitOps.
Insights into managing and securing Kubernetes clusters, focusing on the advantages of immutable operating systems.

Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Digital Ocean — enjoy a free $200 credit when you start using DigitalOcean Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/talos-mircea
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Observability will speed up your Kubernetes troubleshooting, with Jennifer Luther Thomas May 07, 2024

With a passion for security and a knack for troubleshooting, Jen discusses the critical role of network policies in Kubernetes security, the complexities involved in their implementation, and the balance between security and manageability.

She also covers the importance of Custom Resource Definitions and shares her perspective on emerging Kubernetes tools.

In this KubeFM episode, you will learn:

The importance of observability in troubleshooting network policies and how it aids in debugging complex issues.
The trade-offs between the complexity of network policies and the security benefits they provide.
The skills, thought process and humility behind troubleshooting technologies you are unfamiliar with.

Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by Otterize — automate workload IAM policies: zero-friction development, zero-trust security.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/network-observability-jen
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

The good, the bad and the ugly of templating YAML in Kubernetes, with Alexander Block Apr 30, 2024

In this KubeFM episode, Alexander Block delves into the intricacies of Kubernetes templating and deployment tools, sharing his journey from frustration with existing solutions to creating his tool, kluctl.

Alex also discusses the challenges and solutions in Kubernetes templating and deployment, emphasizing the need for more adaptable tools in the Kubernetes ecosystem.

You will learn:

The fundamental flaws of Helm and how they impact Kubernetes deployments and tools packaging.
How tools such as Kustomize, CUE, jsonnet are only a partial solution to templating.
Alternatives to Helm and the future of Kubernetes resource templating and distribution.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Komodor — simplify cluster management and troubleshooting to unlock the full value of Kubernetes.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/kluctl-templating-codablock
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Kubernetes needs a Long Term Support (LTS) release plan, with Mathew Duggan Apr 23, 2024

With the rapid pace of the cloud-native ecosystem, staying current with Kubernetes updates and managing upgrades becomes a daunting task for many organizations.

In this KubeFM episode, Mat discusses the necessity of long-term support for Kubernetes and explores the intricacies of managing Kubernetes upgrades in a fast-evolving landscape.

You will learn:

The importance of long-term support (LTS) for Kubernetes and how it can alleviate the challenges associated with the platform's rapid release cycles.
Strategies for managing Kubernetes upgrades, including insights into the release cycle and the potential pitfalls of the upgrading process.
The role of managed services and semi-automatic upgrades in simplifying Kubernetes maintenance for organizations, especially in cost optimization and resource constraints.
The implications of charging for support of older Kubernetes versions and the potential for a community-based approach to navigating the complexities of Kubernetes upgrades.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — expert Kubernetes training for your team

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/kubernetes-lts-mat
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Clusters are cattle until you deploy ingress, with Dan Garfield Mar 19, 2024

Ensuring the repeatability of your infrastructure is a crucial aspect of managing Kubernetes clusters.

This allows you to swiftly tear down and set up a new one, a practice that is quite handy.

However, there are exceptional circumstances when your cluster becomes more than a disposable tool.

Dan shared, "A Kubernetes cluster will be treated as disposable until you deploy ingress, and then it becomes a pet."

In this episode, you will delve into the concept of 'disposable' and 'pet' Kubernetes clusters and learn:

How you can use GitOps to create a repeatable infrastructure that syncs.
How resources such as the Ingress and external-dns require careful maintenance and monitoring to make your cluster special.
How Crossplane and vCluster help you define repeatable environments that are disposable.
All the flavours for Argo: Workflows, Autopilot, CD, etc., and "Project" a newer abstraction to manage apps across environments.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/ingress-gitops-dan
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

eBPF, sidecars, and the future of the service mesh, with William Morgan Mar 12, 2024

Service meshes and the community's opinion of them have changed drastically over the years.

From being perceived as unnecessary, complicated and bloated, they matured into security and observability powerhouses (while still retaining much of their complexity).

In this KubeFM episode, William deep dives into the world of service meshes and explains a few of the technical choices and trade-offs of service meshes in simple terms.

You will learn:

What is a service mesh and its design (i.e. control plane and data plane).
How Ambient mesh departs from the traditional sidecar model and how it affects reliability and security.
Why there's more than just eBPF in sidecarless service meshes and the limitation of this technology.
The direct costs (compute) and human factors involved in operating a service mesh.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/service-mesh-william
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Moving cloud operations to a Kubernetes operator, with Steven Sklar Mar 05, 2024

Can you run databases on Kubernetes and survive to tell the story?

Or should you refrain from running stateful workloads as much as possible?

In this KubeFM episode, Steven argues that you should run databases on Kubernetes.

He also goes further and demonstrates how to build your custom operator to manage your database.

Listen to the episode and learn how:

You can use Kubebuilder and the Operator Framework to build your operator.
Custom Resources lets you create higher abstractions to manage your infrastructure as code.
Steven's operator manages hundreds of databases at scale at QuestDB.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/operators-steven
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

How Structured Authentication Config changes Kubernetes auth, with Maksim Nabokikh Feb 27, 2024

Structured Authentication Config is the most significant Kubernetes authentication system update in the last six years.

In this KubeFM episode, Maksim explains how this is going to affect you:

You can use multiple authentication providers simultaneously (e.g., Okta, Keycloak, GitLab) — no need for Dex.
You can change the configuration dynamically without restarting the API server.
You can use any JWT-compliant token for authentication.
You can use CEL (Common Expression Language) to determine whether the token's claims match the user's attributes in Kubernetes (username, group).

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/structured-authentication-maksim
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Surviving multi-tenancy in Kubernetes: lessons learned, with Artem Lajko Feb 20, 2024

Is sharing a cluster with multiple tenants worth it?

Should you share or have a single dedicated cluster per team?

In this KubeFM episode, Artem revisits his journey into Kubernetes multi-tenancy and discusses how the landscapes (and opinions) on multi-tenancy have changed over the years.

Here's what you will learn:

The trade-offs of multi-tenancy and the tooling necessary to make it happen (e.g. vCluster, Argo CD, Kamaji, etc.).
The challenges of providing isolated monitoring and logging for tenants.
How to design and architect a platform on Kubernetes to optimise your developer's experience.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/multitenancy-artem
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Troubleshooting a validation webhook all the way down to the kernel, with Alex Movergan Feb 13, 2024

How hard could it be to debug a network issue where pod connections time out?

It could take weeks if you are (un)fortunate like Alex.

But Alex and his team didn't despair and found strength in adversity while learning several Kubernetes networking and kubespray lessons.

In this KubeFM episode, you'll follow their journey and learn:

How a simple connection refused led to debugging the kernel syscalls.
How MetalLB works and uses Dynamic Admission webhooks.
How Calico works and assigns a range of IP addresses to pods (and what you should watch out for).
How to use tcpdump and strace to debug network traffic.

And as a bonus, Alex shared his knowledge of onboarding engineers and how to perfect the process.

Spoiler alert: this episode goes into a great level of (networking) detail, but the solution turned out to be very simple.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/troubleshooting-kernel-alex
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Pod topology spread constraints might not be the best solution, with Martin Humlund Clausen Feb 06, 2024

Pod Topology Spread Constraints is a convenient feature to control how pods are spread across your cluster among failure domains such as regions, zones, nodes, etc.

You can also choose the pod distribution (skew), what happens when the constraint is unfulfillable (schedule anyway vs don't) and the interaction with pod affinity and taints.

It's a great and straightforward feature, so what could possibly go wrong?

In this episode of KubeFM, you will follow Martin and his team's journey in discovering and fixing a production incident (on a Friday afternoon) due to a misconfiguration.

You will also learn:

What are Pod Topology Spread Constraints, and how to use them?
How unfulfillable scheduling requirements could lead to un-schedulable pods.
How to detect and alert on unscheduled pods.
How to manage your team during an incident to keep them calm and focused.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/pod-topology-martin
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Transparently providing ARM nodes to 4000 engineers, with Miguel Bernabeu Diaz and Thibault Jamet Jan 30, 2024

On average, Kubernetes nodes running on ARM instances are 20% cheaper than their AMD counterpart.

Optimising your cloud bill is tempting, but how do you seamlessly migrate existing workloads to a different architecture?

And how do you do it at scale, with more than 4000 engineers and 30 clusters in 4 regions?

In this episode of KubeFM, Thibault and Miguel explain how Adevinta built an internal platform on Kubernetes for mixed AMD and ARM workloads.

You will learn:

The challenges they faced with validating containers for mixed architecture with a mutating webhook and the open source solution they came up with: noe.
Building an internal platform requires careful planning and designing simple interfaces that are backwards compatible.
How to not DDoS your container registries.
How to onboard users to an internal platform and evangelise it.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/arm-nodes-thibault-miguel
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Barco: Linux containers from scratch in C, with Luca Cavallin Jan 23, 2024

The best way to learn something is to break it or to build it yourself.

And that's precisely what Luca did to understand how Linux containers (and Docker) work: he built his own, Barco.

In this episode of KubeFM, you will learn:

Why Linux containers "don't exist" but are the product of several Linux features you can put together and configure properly to get what we know as containers.
How Kernel features such as cgroups and namespaces isolate a process.
How you can use seccomp and capabilities to secure the container.
How to make the right syscall from C to build your own container engine.

Also, Luca explained how he learned how to build Barco from scratch, detailing the (struggle) to find reputable sources and (lack of) respected books.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Learnk8s — become an expert in Kubernetes

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/barco-luca
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Foolproof Kubernetes with GKE, with Mathew Duggan Jan 16, 2024

What if Kubernetes was so easy to install and manage to be foolproof?

In this KubeFM, Mat argues that GKE is the only Kubernetes managed service that offers a beginner-friendly and thought-through experience in running a Kubernetes cluster.

Follow Mat's journey to AKS, GKE and EKS and learn:

How GKE autopilot can help you optimize costs and reduce underutilized node resources.
How the GKE container-optimized OS prevents and eliminates an entire set of security misconfigurations in node management.
How GCP's application of machine learning on the IAM permissions can help you gradually refine security permissions as applications are deployed.

But Mat didn't stop there and had more food for thought:

Are we over-logging and over-monitoring in Kubernetes?
CNI and Ingress have evolved since their inception. What happens now that we are stuck with those decision choices?
Is there a simpler alternative to Kubernetes that is multi-cloud and cloud agnostic, and what could it look like?

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/foolproof-gke-mat
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Network Policies are the wrong abstraction, with Ori Shoshan Dec 12, 2023

Network Policy usage is inverted.

It's easier to list the services that you want to connect to, but Network Policy forces you to list all clients that can connect to your pod.

How would you even know that another team plans to connect your apps?

But if Network Policy is not the right tool, then what should you use?

In this KubeFM podcast, you will explore:

How Network Policies are not as bad as you might think, but they are low-level APIs that are not always practical to use directly.
Intent-based Access Control (IBAC) as a higher-level abstraction to describe your network segmentation requirements.
How you can use IBAC to generate Network Policies, Istio Authorization Policies, AWS IAM & Roles, and more.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/network-policies-ori
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Why Helm's design is flawed, with Jacco Taal Dec 05, 2023

Helm is a popular tool for templating and packaging Kubernetes resources, but does it mean it's the best?

In this episode of KubeFM, Jacco draws a parallel between Helm and PHP and the similarity in which both tools became a success despite their focus on templating strings.

You will also learn:

Helm's flaws and how you can avoid them.
Alternative tools that can (partially) replace Helm.
How to manage third-party packages and templating internal YAML resources.

Jacco shared several examples demonstrating duplication in Helm charts and a lack of structured typing.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/helm-flawed-jacco
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Kubernetes base64 secrets are fine, with Mac Chaffee Nov 28, 2023

By default, Kubernetes Secrets are not encrypted; values are merely base64 encoded.

And this is fine — at least, this is what Mac argues in this episode of KubeFM.

Mac says it all comes down to thinking strategically about security and where the Secrets could be leaked.

In this episode, you will learn:

How to define a threat model to inform your security posture and mitigations.
How Kubernetes Secrets offer sufficient guarantees for most common threat models.
If you should use Hashicorp Vault or Kubernetes Secrets (and when not to use auto-unsealing).

Mac also covers tips and advice on becoming a security expert.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/kubernetes-secrets-mac
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Kubernetes on bare-metal: lessons learned, with Mathias Pius Nov 21, 2023

What does it take to build a Kubernetes cluster on bare metal?

In this episode of KubeFM, you will learn how to plan and execute a successful setup for a bare-metal Kubernetes cluster.

You will follow Mathias' journey as he rebuilt his cluster several times and learn how to:

Identify dependencies and priorities between components to avoid incidents in the future.
Leverage FluxCD to have a predictable and documented setup.
Secure the nodes from external traffic with firewalls and Cilium cluster-wide network policies.
Use Talos to have a self-contained Kubernetes operating system.

Mathias also shared tips and advice for other engineers embarking on the same process.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/bare-metal-kubernetes-mathias
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Migrating 24 services from Docker compose to Kubernetes, with Ronald Ramazanov and Vasily Kolosov Nov 14, 2023

Should every project start with Kubernetes?

And if not, when is the right time to switch without incurring (unbearable) technical debt?

In this episode of KubeFM, you will learn how the team at Loovatech designed an app from scratch and decided to use Docker Compose to host their infrastructure cheaply and effectively in a single virtual machine.

As the project grew, the team had to make the difficult choice to rearchitect their infrastructure and plan for scalability and fault tolerance.

Follow their journey and learn:

How to migrate from a single Docker Compose file with 24 containers to Kubernetes.
How to verify that your apps are stateless and what changes are necessary to deploy them into Kubernetes.
How to manage expectations and explain the value of a complex migration to your boss or (non-tech-savvy) customers.

Vasily and Ronald also shared how they integrated ArgoCD and their existing CI/CD to leverage push and pull-based GitOps and their plans to incorporate multi-tenancy and custom metrics.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/docker-compose-migration-vasily-ronald
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Upgrading hundreds of Kubernetes clusters, with Pierre Mavro Oct 31, 2023

How do you upgrade a Kubernetes cluster to the latest release without breaking anything?

And what if you had to upgrade hundreds of clusters simultaneously?

In this episode, Pierre explains the process, tooling and testing strategy in upgrading clusters at scale.

You will learn:

How the team at Qovery keeps updated with the latest (vanilla) Kubernetes changes and managed services changelogs.
How to upgrade Helm charts gradually and safely. Pierre has some tips for Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs).
How to test API deprecations with end-to-end testing.
How to automate the process of upgrading clusters.

You will also learn from Pierre's experience in managing stateful applications in Kubernetes with 4500 nodes on bare metal.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/upgrading-100s-clusters-pierre
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Unpacking observability, ditching Prometheus, with Hannah Maxwell and Adriana Villela Oct 17, 2023

Are logs enough to troubleshoot your deployment and infrastructure?

Perhaps, but there's a better way to observe, monitor and debug your stack: embracing observability.

In this episode, Adriana explains how she learned to love Open Telemetry and:

How you can combine Traces, Metrics and logs to really understand the root cause of your production issues.
What the Open Telemetry Collector is, and how it can simplify the ingestion of traces, logs and metrics without tying you into a particular vendor?
How to convince colleagues and the business to adopt new technologies.

In this episode, Bart also invited a special guest, Hannah (Adriana's daughter), to ensure that Adriana tells the truth and nothing but the truth.

Hannah shared some great tips on public speaking and… baking!

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/adriana-hannah-unpacking-o11y
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Reducing compute capacity by 40% on EKS with Bottlerocket and Karpenter, with Gazal Gafoor Oct 10, 2023

Follow Gazal's journey as he shares the lessons learned in adopting, rolling out and scaling EKS clusters at Target Australia over seven years.

You will learn:

What is Bottlerocket OS.
How Bottlerocket helps with securing your workloads.
Karpenter as an alternative to the Cluster Autoscaler.
How Karpenter can efficiently schedule and de-provision workloads.

Gazal hinted at a 40% reduction in compute capacity when combining Bottlerocket OS and Karpenter (and 30% lower response times).

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/gazal-eks-bottlerocket-karpenter
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Making autoscaling dead simple in Kubernetes: KEDA, with Jorge Turrado Oct 02, 2023

How do you scale your pods on queue length?

In this episode, you will learn:

How KEDA simplifies autoscaling in Kubernetes thanks to its vast collection of metrics collectors (i.e. scalers).
Jorge's journey in tech: how he levelled up from passing wires as an electrician to learning Go and becoming a KEDA maintainer.
Two must-try KEDA scalers: the HTTP add-on to scale to zero and the Carbon-aware scaler for reducing your carbon footprint.

You will also dive into what it takes to maintain a successful graduated CNCF project.

And lastly, what three Cloud Native tools would Jorge take to a desert island?

Spoiler alert: KEDA wasn't his first choice.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/keda-jorge-turrado
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Kubernetes v1.28: Planternetes, with Grace Nguyen Sep 18, 2023

TL;DR: Learn the most exciting changes that made it to Kubernetes 1.28 from Grace — the Kubernetes release lead.

Kubernetes 1.28 brought us a few notable changes:

Sidecar containers are officially recognised as a container (not just a container pattern).
Pods from StatefulSet no longer get stuck into Terminating if a node is lost unexpectedly.
Validating Admission Policy graduates to Beta.

This podcast addresses the new features and dives into what it takes to release a new Kubernetes version.

Grace Nguyen (Kubernetes 1.28 release lead) reveals her tips and tricks to stay on top of a release with 1440 contributors from 911 companies.

More info

Find all the links and info for this episode here: https://kube.fm/planternetes-grace-nguyen
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected