Azure and Kubernetes

Kubernetes helps organizations manage distributed, scalable, container-based applications through a technology called orchestration. The accompanying illustration shows three servers (called nodes) using Kubernetes to orchestrate an application. (The name Kubernetes—ancient Greek for “helmsman”—is often abbreviated as K8s.)

Containers have become a standard way to package applications, taking over some of the functions of VMs. As they do not include a copy of an operating system, like VMs, containers are both smaller and faster to launch than equivalent VMs. Additionally, because containers are more compact than VMs, they make better and more efficient use of resources such as CPU, memory, and storage.

Kubernetes container orchestration places, deploys, manages, and scales (both up and down) containers. Kubernetes-based applications can support thousands of servers and containers where necessary (for example, for large-scale eCommerce, telecommunications, and AI applications). In the illustration, three servers comprise a cluster; each has an OS (Windows or Linux) with the appropriate enhancements to support containerized applications. The orchestration layer, in green, can deploy and manage the containers; administrators have a set of tools (called the “control plane”) they use to interact with and manage the orchestration layer.