The Top 10 Kubernetes Tips and Tricks That Will Help You Get the Most Out of Your Distribution

In an age of technological advances, container technology has taken the world by storm. Kubernetes is a prevalent open-source system that assists distributors with managing and automating their scaling, deployment, and other functions of container applications. 

Even if you’re already using the program and believe that you’re aware of all there is to know, there are plenty of features that go unused. Many tips and tricks could improve the user experience while getting the most from this system. 

Use a Kubernetes manager to scale your operation

Any companies that want to offer large-scale, vastly available containers should invest in Kubernetes. Once you have this technology at your disposal, consider using a Kubernetes management platform. It’ll give you a bird’s eye view of their nodes, regardless of number. 

The benefits are simple, easy-to-use, consistent cluster operations, including version management, centralized auditing, provisioning, monitoring and alerting, and visibility and diagnosis.

Don’t allow kubectl access for everyone on the team

One of the most straightforward Kubernetes tips and tricks to implement is access restriction for kubectl. While the container management system has been developed for more than one team to deploy to one cluster, you shouldn’t grant access to everyone. 

Create policies that only allow access to those directly related to the facilitation of everyday operations. Make a distinction between deployment privileges and administration privileges. 

Role-based access control policies are the way to go. Some of the processes are confusing and should be left to those that can handle just this aspect of the container distribution. 

Use probes the right way

Another great tip is to check out the health of your apps. With Kubernetes, you can define probes. Probes determine the health of your pod using liveness probes and readiness probes. 

The readiness probes can help determine container status for receiving traffic. The liveness probes are suitable for figuring out if you need to restart a container. You have to add the appropriate configurations to your deployment files to ensure proper function. Additionally, there are customization features that you can use for timeouts, delays, and more. 

Clean regularly

Be sure to clean regularly. As impressive as the Kubernetes system is, it can be deficient in storage. Use Kubelet to do checks for any files that can get deleted. 

You can assign the checks and program Kubelet to do reviews periodically on its own. When you delete a deployment, you should clean everything. Although Kubernetes scales your distributions, the Kubelet might become stressed once you reach the millions. 

Use Minikube if you deploy locally

Minikube offers a flexible way to run a Kubernetes cluster locally. Without question, local deployments improve drastically using this tool. Not only is Minikube a straightforward install that you can download with no fuss, but the instructions for using Minikube are easy to follow.

After installing Minikube, you can begin the application with the command “minikube start.” After this straightforward command, the Kubernetes cluster will operate locally.

If you’re attempting to build an application locally, Minikube is the ideal tool. There’s an image that should be visible on the system, and you shouldn’t have to run any other commands.

What’s more, you can issue a command to aid you in using docker build for pushing images to the local Kubernetes cluster. Enter the following command: “eval $ (minikube docker-env).” Once you’ve entered the command, you can begin applications using a local Kubernetes cluster.

Set default for the namespaces

A Kubernetes cluster can divide into several environments by using namespaces such as Dev1, Dev2, etc. Furthermore, every environment can be controlled and managed by a different user. 

There’s one drawback to writing kubectl commands. Every time a command is written, the –namespace option must be at the end. Often, individuals forget to include this, and they will inevitably create objects in the incorrect namespace.

To avoid this inconvenience, there’s the option to set the namespace preference before running the kubectl commands. If you run the following commands before executing the kubectl commands, the namespace will be saved for all kubectl commands in your current context.

Labels are your friends

Labels are essential to Kubernetes. These markers conjoin elements or objects to another in a less forceful and commanding way while aiding project management, queries, and team organization.

You can also use labels to subdivide a single cluster into several mini-environments. Let’s say you have one cluster doing two functions. The tags allow you to divide selection, enabling the same function to have two endpoints. It’s all contingent on the query intention.

Labels are helpful and powerful on Kubernetes GO, and it is very customizable to boot. This client has its roots in GO, and it can clean up applications, deploy engines, and more.

Purchase the GO client

The Kubernetes GO client unexpectedly offers much more than what’s expected. It started on GO, and the add-ons have their origins on GO as well. The GO client is replete with various intriguing applications for the user.

GO is a tool used to customize Kubernetes according to your personal preferences for the most part. You could utilize Go as a data collection engine, a deployment engine, or a clean-up application. 

Install the autocomplete function

The first helpful tip that you should adhere to is to use the kubectl commands. You have to bash complete the commands. Completing the process doesn’t take much effort, and it has the added advantage of assuring flexibility and functionality while using Kubernetes. Users implementing bash could add autocomplete with kubectl commands. 

Kubernetes users can enter the following command to succeed in autocomplete: echo “source <(kubectl completion bash)”>> ~/.bashrc.

By entering the above command, you can add autocomplete to the .bashrc. Afterward, the next time you open a shell, autocompletion will start. This option is ideal for extensive entries in Kubernetes.

Pod disruption budgets (PDB)

Ensure that your application doesn’t suffer any sluggishness or downtime. If you have a deployment with multiple instances, you should apply a pod distribution budget to update the clusters and drain nodes. You can add a PDB by using yaml and label selectors. Think of a PDB as a backup plan if there’s a disruption in the system. 

Wrap up

Kubernetes is a game-changer packed with functions that help a company run smoother when used correctly. These Kubernetes tips and tricks are small adjustments that can have a big impact on container applications.