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The Drive for Kubernetes Partner Enablement & Training

September 14, 2020
By Bob Moran
4 minute read

You’ve probably heard about Kubernetes and its impact on the open-source industry. While some of us may already be experts on Kubernetes, others might feel a little lost when we hear the word tossed around in planning meetings. For those who are unfamiliar with the technology, Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform. And if you’re unfamiliar with it, Red Hat’s Kubernetes offering is Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP).

"OK," you might be thinking, "but what does that mean?"

Containers come in all shapes and sizes, so imagine the container as a lightweight, high-performance car, or an efficient cargo van. These vehicles, or containers, are a way to deliver applications in self-contained environments. This can simplify DevOps practices, speed up continuous integration, and empower microservices architectures. 

But what if you wanted more services for your application than could fit in one vehicle? You would need multiple to run your applications. But what if you had thousands of vehicles all carrying containerized environments and applications? How would you manage all of those containers across multiple hosts? How could you avoid collisions and coordinate all those deliveries?

The answer is Kubernetes. 

Think of Kubernetes as the person directing the traffic of all those container-vehicles. Kubernetes directs the traffic that allows the user to run multiple cloud and bare metal environments to effectively manage containerized workloads and services. 

Kubernetes controls the flow of traffic using Pods, Deployments, Services and Labels. 

  • The pods are like a roundabout that allows for the flow of traffic but in an organized way. Pods are the smallest deployable units that can be created and managed in Kubernetes 
  • The replication controller and deployment components are like a four-way stop that ensures that a specified number of pod replicas are running at any one time, and in an orderly fashion to avoid crashes.
  • The services are like an intersection grouping the pods acting as one. They have a stable IP and DNS name.
  • Finally, you can have thousands of containers in multiple machines. How do you locate and manage them? You do that with labels, which are like the signs on the highway that let you know where you are.

By understanding these rules of the road, you’ll understand how Kubernetes handles the complex demands of container orchestration. Containers and Kubernetes are the keys you need to unlock the hybrid cloud. 

But like any vehicle on the road today, it’s best to drive with your license handy, an indicator that you are practiced and knowledgeable about the operation of the vehicle and the rules of the road. This is what the Red Hat Online Partner Enablement Network (OPEN) and the Red Hat Product Demo System (RHPDS) can provide for you.

Through Red Hat OPEN and RHPDS, Red Hat Partner Connect members have access to a full suite of training to help you stay competitive in the market, grow your business, and develop expertise your customers can trust.

Start off slow with introductory and foundational knowledge (login required):

Take it up a notch with training for sales and solution architects (login required):

Go full speed ahead with technical training  (login required):

 

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Bob Moran
Bob Moran
Content Developer
Bob Moran is a Content Developer 4 for the Global Partner and Technical Enablement team at Red Hat. He has been with the team over 7 years working on video editing, image animation and SCORM packaging. Bob lives in Raleigh and likes to spend his vacations with his wife and dog in Asheville, NC.