I recently read about an organization that abandoned Kubernetes (in their case, in favor of AWS ECS), and how it led to a noticeably happier DevOps team.
Stories like this are becoming more common, and it's tempting to see such a move as the only solution when Kubernetes doesn't meet expectations. However, swiftly shifting away from Kubernetes might be more of an emotional response to immediate pain rather than offering strategic, long-term benefits.
Let's explore why this happens and how organizations can prevent reaching a point where Kubernetes feels more like a burden than a benefit.
Kubernetes is the standard for container orchestration, delivering scalability, flexibility, and operational efficiency. Its powerful features significantly transform how applications and infrastructure are deployed and managed. However, with these advantages comes a level of complexity that can catch teams off guard.
Often, organizations adopt Kubernetes expecting it to be a cure-all for their infrastructure challenges. They might underestimate the learning curve and the operational overhead required to run it effectively. When the reality doesn't align with these high expectations, frustration can quickly set in. When the frustrations reach a boiling-over point, "get this tech out of here!" might echo around the IT executive office.
Kubernetes has many moving parts, and even with a highly competent DevOps and SRE team its maintenance overhead can be overwhelming. As the article points out, even with 8 senior DevOps engineers, 3 dedicated SRE teams, 24/7 on-call rotations, and an enterprise support agreement, there were still significant outages and team burnout. Imagine running Kubernetes without this level of experience in-house. How much worse would it be?
Often, though, the issues surrounding Kubernetes are caused by the platform's overengineering. The more tools and capabilities you deploy, the more elements you need to maintain, triage, and support. While appealing, adding advanced Kubernetes technologies like ServiceMesh, GitOps, IaC, or Gatekeeper services too early can complicate your setup.
Another factor that can overwhelm teams is the operational overhead of managing Kubernetes clusters. Maintaining consistent and secure user access, monitoring utilization and availability, handling upgrades, applying security patches, and managing scaling can add a significant workload. If a team isn't prepared for these responsibilities, they can detract from other essential activities. The organization in the article spent 60% of their DevOps engineering time on maintenance! The number of discrete management tools you choose to deploy can also negatively affect the operational overhead. If you have nine different management tools, then you have nine places to work within every day, let alone the ongoing management of those very tools themselves.
Also, one often neglected overhead is the creation and maintenance of the Kubernetes Manifests (or Helm charts) that are needed to deploy the applications upon the platform. Creating these manifests takes skills and experience, and knowing how to configure the manifest/deployment most efficiently and securely is often an exercise in trial and error. The organization in the article had 200+ YAML files for basic deployments, so that's 200 discrete files they needed to maintain and test. The more apps you have, the faster this scales too.
When teams face these persistent challenges, the instinctive reaction might be to abandon Kubernetes altogether. While moving to a simpler platform like AWS ECS can offer immediate relief, it may not address the underlying issues that led to the frustration. This reaction is often driven by immediate pain rather than a careful analysis of whether Kubernetes was the right fit and whether it was implemented effectively.
So, how can organizations avoid these pitfalls and make Kubernetes work for them?
Before diving into Kubernetes, it's crucial to evaluate whether it truly aligns with your organization's needs. Consider the complexity of your applications and whether they require the advanced orchestration Kubernetes provides. If your workloads are relatively straightforward, a simpler solution might be more appropriate. Adopting technology because it's popular rather than because it meets your specific needs can lead to unnecessary complications.
Kubernetes is a sophisticated platform that demands a certain level of expertise. Investing in training for your existing team can build confidence and competence. Providing opportunities for learning through workshops, courses, or certifications ensures that your team is well-equipped to manage Kubernetes clusters effectively. Alternatively, hiring professionals (managed services) with experience in Kubernetes can also help navigate the complexities and establish best practices from the outset.
One of the issues highlighted is the sprawl of management tools. Juggling multiple monitoring and logging solutions can fragment the management experience and increase the learning curve. Consolidating your tools can significantly reduce complexity. Utilizing platforms that offer multi-functional capabilities, like Portainer, can provide a unified interface for managing containers, clusters, and associated resources. A simplified toolset means less time spent switching between applications and more time focused on delivering value.
While it might be tempting to implement advanced Kubernetes features, it's important to assess whether you truly need these capabilities at your current stage. Each additional feature introduces more elements to maintain and can complicate your setup. Focus on implementing only what is necessary to meet your immediate needs, and consider adding more advanced features as your team's proficiency grows.
Managing Kubernetes manifests and Helm charts can be a daunting task, especially as the number of applications grows. Outsourced "DevOps as a Service" engineering offerings can shift this burden off your team and onto specialists proficient at this time-consuming task.
To reduce operational overhead, consider using managed Kubernetes services offered by cloud providers like AWS EKS, Google Kubernetes Engine, or Azure Kubernetes Service. These platforms handle much of the underlying infrastructure management, including control plane operations, upgrades, and security patches. This allows your team to concentrate on application development and deployment rather than the intricacies of cluster maintenance. For self-hosted environments, tools like Sidero Omni or Talos Kubernetes offer similar experiences, simplifying management without sacrificing control.
By taking these steps, organizations can mitigate the challenges often accompanying Kubernetes adoption. It's about being strategic, understanding the tool's capabilities, aligning them with your needs, and ensuring your team is prepared to manage them effectively. Kubernetes doesn't have to be a source of frustration. With thoughtful implementation it can be a powerful asset that drives innovation and efficiency within your organization.
Speak to us here at Portainer to learn about our Kubernetes DevOps as a Service and Platform Engineering as a Service offerings, which perfectly complement our Multi-Cluster management platform, Portainer Business.