Kubernetes Tools

What is Kubernetes?

As the companies have started opting for a container-driven approach they have started understanding the importance of Kubernetes. K8s or Kubernetes is one of the most prominently used open-source container orchestration platforms that is used to deploy applications and manage containerized services. It refines and automates the process to build and deploy applications in a container environment.

The tool is being opted for by companies all over the globe due to several reasons:

• The product reaches the market in less time. 
• Overall cost optimization is great.
• The tool improves scalability.
• It enables the running of applications on any cloud (public, private, or even hybrid). 
• It provides impactful migration to the cloud. 

With amazing microservice-based architecture, Kubernetes continues to gain popularity. It is one of those DevOps tools that are widely used and continuously evolving. There are several plug-ins, extensions, add-ons, and built-ins that make the tool so popular when it comes to running and managing the workload. 

There are several types of Kubernetes tools that are used to manage containerised services and applications. Here, we will be covering the top 5 categories of Kubernetes tools. 

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What are the most popular Kubernetes tools?

Kubernetes Monitoring Tools 

cAdvisor

cAdvisor is a Kubernetes Monitoring tool that monitors the usage of resources and their performance. The tool is an open-source system that starts monitoring when it is integrated into the kubelet library. Once integrated, it begins to collect all the relevant information like the memory file, statistics related to the Central Processing Unit, and network usage of all the containers.

Kubernetes Dashboard

Another popular Kubernetes Monitoring tool is Kubernetes Dashboard which is a web-based interface used for deploying and editing containerized applications. This tool is more popular with small clusters and helps in different tasks like discovery, monitoring, and load planning. Not just that, the Kubernetes Dashboard can be used to keep an eye on memory usage and overall system health. 

Kubelet

Kubelet is a node agent that runs on each node of a Kubernetes cluster. Using one of the hostnames, specific logic for a cloud provider, or a flag to override the hostname, it can register the node with the API Server. There is a YAML or JSON object, called “PodSpec” which describes each pod and these PodSpecs are used by Kubelet to monitor these nodes.

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Twistlock

Twistlock is a Kubernetes Security Tool that provides security to the container lifecycle. It scans all the images that are in the registry or the ones that were a part of the build and deploy process. Also, it continuously keeps an eye on any areas that show vulnerability. There are two most important aspects of container security that Twistlock focuses on. The first, is to keep a regular check over all the images in the ongoing process. Second, it keeps an eye on the running containers and if there is anything awkward in their behaviour.  

Falco

Falco is another Kubernetes Security Tool that keeps a check over any abnormal or unexpected activity in the Kubernetes containers. The tool has a single set of rules written in YAML with diverse options of optional and required keys. These rules are used to monitor several layers of the container which includes the application, network, host, and the container too. The plus point is that there can be a unique set of rules for each Kubernetes cluster. 

Aqua Security

Aqua Security is a Kubernetes tool that scans images of the container before they are deployed. The images are read-only which reduces the overall threat. Not just that, the tool is used to prevent, detect, and automatically respond when it comes to the secure building of the application lifecycle. Aqua Security also helps in the secure running of the workloads along with the secure building of the cloud infrastructure.

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Kubernetes Deployment Tools 

Helm

Helm is a popular Kubernetes Deployment and Management tool used to automate the creation, packaging, configuration, and deployment of applications and services. The tool organises bundled applications into charts before they are deployed to Kubernetes. Helm uses short CLI commands to simplify the installation and updating process on Kubernetes. Furthermore, the deployment tool records every chart’s installation and modification version history and provides commands to roll back to a previous version or upgrade to a newer one. 

Apollo

Apollo is a Kubernetes tool that provides a user interface to manage Kubernetes. The tool enables you to roll back deployment with a single click and also allows you to view logs. Furthermore, the tool enables the integration of all the present build processes, all it needs to know is when the artefact is ready. Also, Apollo can be used to check pod status, restart pods, and examine logs.

Kubespray

Kubespray is a Kubernetes Management tool which is a package of Ansible playbooks, provisioning tools, inventory, and domain language. The tool is used for the deployment and management of Kubernetes clusters. Kubespray supports OpenStack, AWS, Azure, and GCP (Google Cloud Platform). Also, the tool makes the process of Continuous Integration testing possible.  

Kubernetes CLI Tools

Kubectl

Kubectl is a Kubernetes CLI tool, i.e. a Command Line tool. The tool is used to interact or communicate with the Kubernetes cluster. Being a command line tool, its basic task is to run commands to communicate with the clusters. Now, to communicate with the Kubernetes cluster, it must authenticate with the cluster’s master node and make API calls for management actions. Furthermore, Kubectl is also used for deploying applications, inspecting and managing cluster resources along with viewing logs. 

Kubectx/ Kubens

Kubectx and Kubens are two Kubernetes utilities that can be accessed through a shared repository. While Kubectl is used to offer more functions, Kubectx is used when it comes to multi-cluster environments. Kubectx is also utilised in switching between clusters on kubectl more rapidly. Furthermore, kubens proves its worth when it comes to switching between Kubernetes namespaces and configuring them for kubectl. 

Kube-shell

Kube-shell is a Kubernetes tool that can be referred to as an integrated shell to work with Kubernetes CLI. In a way, Kube-shell is an alternative for kubectl or is often referred to as the shell that is constructed over kubectl. Kube-shell offers command auto-completion which makes the tool easier to use and increases its overall productivity. 

Kubernetes Serverless Tools

Kubeless

Kubeless is a Kubernetes-native, open-source serverless system that is used to deploy bits of code without paying much heed to the infrastructure. The tool enables a lot of tasks using the Kubernetes resources which help in auto-scaling, monitoring, troubleshooting and routing the API. Kubless also supports Custom Resource Definitions which proves its worth when it comes to the creation of custom Kubernetes resources. Furthermore, Kubeless enables the user to launch runtimes and make them available over HTTP.

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Fission Software

Fission Software or Fission is a serverless Kubernetes tool that enables developers to smoothly run their code functions along with automating the configuration process of Kubernetes microservices. So, all the developer has to do is write his/ her code functions and the rest will be taken care of by Fission. Also, Fission can work on the Kubernetes cluster from a laptop or a private data centre or even any public cloud, i.e it provides flexibility to deploy anywhere.   

IronFunctions

IronFunctions is another Kubernetes serverless tool that supports functions in all coding languages. Written in Goland, the tool supports AWS Lambda functions and also enables users to import and use Lambda functions on diverse platforms. The tool is widely used because of its ease of use and how it manages operators. 

Conclusion

By now, you would be well versed in the top categories of Kubernetes tools being used in the market today. In the beginning, you learned about the basics of Kubernetes and why they are one of the most preferred tools when it comes to managing containerized services.

Then you went on to check the top 5 categories of Kubernetes Tools - Kubernetes Monitoring Tools, Kubernetes Security Tools, Kubernetes Deployment Tools, Kubernetes CLI Tools, and Kubernetes Serverless Tools. While, at each category of Kubernetes Tools, you saw the three tools in those categories.

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