Kubernetes and Serverless: The Next Chapter of Application Development

Kubernetes combined with serverless technologies is shaping the future of mainstream applications. The ecosystem is expanding daily, with third-party companies introducing CRD extensions to manage application orchestration natively via Kubernetes operators.

Is the transition difficult? That’s relative to one’s background. Many seasoned professionals lament the fact that a significant number lack a foundational understanding of Linux, Security, Docker, storage, and virtualization. Moreover, many are unfamiliar with networking outside of a Kubernetes environment.

AWS and other cloud providers have popularized a managed service approach. While this is beneficial for businesses, it's inadvertently created a generation of engineers with gaps in their technical knowledge. Concepts like AWS's security groups and load balancers can be likened to basic algebra, while the intricacies of Linux firewalls (e.g., firewalld, ufw, iptables) and tools like Nginx, HAproxy, and Keepalive represent the calculus. Without a grip on the basics, delving into the complexities can be overwhelming.

A significant challenge is the unrealistic expectations set by management. Newcomers are often expected to produce magic with Kubernetes without the foundational knowledge or resources to master its intricacies. Coupled with a mentorship deficit in the industry, this sets up a pressure cooker environment that doesn't foster genuine understanding or learning.

Many professionals bypass these foundational topics, but the most adept Kubernetes Subject Matter Experts usually have backgrounds or once moon-light as a assystem admins or engineers. They boast a strong grasp of Linux, Security ( Fail2Ban, Linux Jails/Chroot), Docker, storage, troubleshooting, and networking. Merely installing Kubernetes isn’t the endgame; the essence lies in troubleshooting with standard Linux tools and understanding the core concepts underneath.

Before diving into Kubernetes, I recommend a hands-on Linux course, such as those available on Udemy. When you've faced the challenges of classic on-prem Linux servers and clustering, you can truly appreciate Kubernetes and its problem-solving prowess. This depth of understanding comes from hands-on experience, textbooks, and comprehensive self-paced courses.

Personal Anecdote: My journey into Kubernetes began as a hobby, transitioning from Docker in late 2013 and LXC containers. By late 2014, with the backing of giants like Red Hat, Kubernetes surged in popularity. Engineers I’ve mentored now tackle Linux and networking with the same fervor as they would algebra or calculus. I also advocate for community college Linux courses, especially those tied to the Red Hat Academy, as they offer a hands-on avenue to gain practical skills. AWS revolutionized the industry, but it also reshaped our learning methods.

My insights stem from over 17 years in the field, a decade of which involved Docker and Kubernetes. This technology pivot has been the cornerstone of my career, with a significant portion of my recent projects focusing on Kubernetes. The introduction of CRDs marked a turning point. And a touch of nostalgia: those release cycles from Thursday to Monday? Unforgettable times! QA Testers yelling at Ops team for missing one step in the release steps. Release managers buy us free pizza. Monday morning can be smiles or firing. Lol. Now, blue- green has changed our lives by making CICD a lot easier. No

Nowadays, tools such Tekton, ArgoCD and Flux etc are kubernetes CRDs. If you ever manage Jenkins or Nagios. We remember the old patching weekend. Lol. You will know the true meaning of pain of buggy application monitoring tools and CD tools. Lol.