An open-source platform that automates deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications across clusters of machines.
Kubernetes, often shortened to K8s, was originally designed at Google and released as open source in 2014. It is now maintained under the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. When an application runs as dozens or hundreds of containers, Kubernetes decides where each one runs, restarts failed containers, scales them up or down based on demand, and rolls out updates gradually.
Developers describe the desired state of their application, such as three copies of a web service behind a load balancer, in configuration files, often written in YAML. Kubernetes continuously works to make reality match that description. All major cloud providers offer managed Kubernetes services. It is powerful but complex, so smaller projects sometimes choose simpler platforms or serverless options.
A cloud feature that automatically adds or removes computing resources based on demand, so applications stay responsive without overpaying.
ContainerA lightweight, portable package that bundles an application with its dependencies so it runs the same way across different environments.
DockerA popular platform for building, sharing, and running applications inside containers.
GitOpsA way of managing infrastructure and deployments where the desired system state is stored in Git and automatically applied by software agents.
Load BalancerA system that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers so no single server is overwhelmed.
MicroservicesAn architecture style in which an application is built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate over APIs.
OrchestrationAutomated coordination and management of multiple systems, services, or tasks so they work together as a complete workflow.
Service MeshAn infrastructure layer that manages communication between microservices, handling traffic routing, security, and monitoring outside the application code.
YAMLA human-readable data format that uses indentation to represent structure, widely used for configuration files.
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