Kubernetes Best Practices

NHAILA Achraf
3 min readApr 10, 2023

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Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system that is quickly becoming the de facto standard for managing containerized applications.

Kubernetes Best Practices

In this article, we’ll cover some Kubernetes best practices to help you get the most out of the system.

1 — Use namespaces to segment resources

2 — Use resource requests and limits

3 — Use labels and annotations to organize resources

4 — Use ConfigMaps and Secrets to store configuration data

5 — Use deployments instead of replication controllers

6 — Use readiness and availability probes

7 — Use horizontal pod autoscaling

1- Use namespaces to segment resources

One of the first things to do when setting up a Kubernetes cluster is to use namespaces to segment resources. Namespaces allow you to group resources together and isolate different applications or teams. By using namespaces, you can avoid name conflicts, improve security, and make resource management easier.

2- Use resource requests and limits

Kubernetes provides resource requests and limits, which allow you to specify how much CPU and memory each container needs. Resource requests and limits are essential to ensure that your applications run smoothly and that other applications are not starved for resources. You need to define resource requests and limits for all your containers and make sure they are accurate.

3-Use labels and annotations to organize resources

Labels and annotations are two powerful tools you can use to organize resources in Kubernetes. Labels are key-value pairs that you can attach to Kubernetes objects, such as pods or services, to help you identify and organize them. Annotations are similar to labels but allow you to attach arbitrary metadata to Kubernetes objects. By using labels and annotations, you can make it easier to manage your resources and automate tasks.

4-Use ConfigMaps and Secrets to store configuration data

Kubernetes provides ConfigMaps and Secrets to store the configuration data your applications need. ConfigMaps allow you to store configuration data as key-value pairs, while Secrets allow you to store sensitive data, such as passwords or API keys. By using ConfigMaps and Secrets, you can separate your configuration data from your application code, making it easier to manage and update.

5-Use deployments instead of replication controllers

Deployments are a new feature in Kubernetes that provide a more advanced way to manage replica sets. Deployments allow you to perform continuous updates and rollbacks, making it easier to manage

6-Use readiness and availability probes

Kubernetes offers readiness and availability probes that allow you to determine if your applications are healthy and ready to receive traffic. Readiness probes allow you to determine if your application is ready to receive traffic, while availability probes allow you to determine if your application is still running. By using these probes, you can ensure that your applications are running smoothly and minimize downtime.

7-Use horizontal pod autoscaling

Kubernetes offers horizontal pod scaling, which allows you to automatically scale the number of replicas in your application based on CPU or memory usage. Horizontal pod autoscaling can help you ensure that your applications have enough resources to handle peak traffic, without wasting resources when traffic is low.

Conclusion

Kubernetes is a powerful system that can help you manage containerized applications at scale. By following these Kubernetes best practices, you can ensure that your applications run smoothly and efficiently. Remember to use namespaces to segment resources, use resource requests and limits, use labels and annotations to organize resources, use ConfigMaps and Secrets to store configuration data, use Deployments instead of Replication Controllers, use availability and liveness probes, and use horizontal pod autoscaling.

By following these best practices, you can get the most out of Kubernetes and ensure your applications are running smoothly.

Hope this will help!
NHAILA Achraf

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