Do NOT Learn Kubernetes Without Knowing These Concepts...

Summary

Travis from Travis.Media shares his journey of becoming a site reliability engineer and the challenges he faced learning Kubernetes without foundational knowledge. He provides a guide for those interested in Kubernetes, emphasizing the importance of understanding containerization, cloud basics, YAML, networking, and terminal proficiency before diving in. Travis recommends a Udemy course for a comprehensive learning experience and suggests free resources to build a strong foundation in prerequisite skills.

Takeaways

• 😀 Travis, a former developer turned site reliability engineer, shares his journey and learnings from his initial struggle with Kubernetes due to a lack of foundational knowledge.
• 📈 The script highlights the growing adoption of Kubernetes, citing a CNCF survey that shows a record high of 96% of organizations using or evaluating it, emphasizing its importance in the industry.
• 🔧 The video outlines five prerequisites for learning Kubernetes: understanding containerization and orchestration, cloud basics, YAML for declarative configurations, networking basics, and terminal proficiency.
• 📝 Containerization is foundational, with Docker being a popular platform for creating container images that package code and dependencies for consistent application deployment.
• ☁️ Cloud knowledge is essential, especially when Kubernetes is deployed as a managed service in the cloud, which is common with 79% of survey participants relying on cloud platforms for Kubernetes hosting.
• 📑 YAML is crucial for writing Kubernetes configuration files, known as manifests, which describe the desired state of Kubernetes objects.
• 🌐 Networking basics are necessary for understanding how pods, containers, and services communicate within Kubernetes, including concepts like OSI layers, protocols, and service types.
• 💻 Terminal proficiency is key for interacting with Kubernetes clusters using the kubectl CLI, requiring familiarity with Linux commands and editors like vi or Nano.
• 🔗 The script recommends a specific Udemy course for learning Kubernetes, emphasizing its hands-on approach, core concepts section, and frequent sales making it an accessible learning resource.
• 🛠️ Travis suggests using a free YouTube video to learn Docker basics and a 4-hour networking basics video for a deeper understanding before diving into Kubernetes.
• 💡 The video concludes by encouraging viewers to ensure they have a good grasp of the prerequisites before learning Kubernetes and to engage in discussion about any additional prerequisites that might be important.

Q & A

What was Travis' initial job role before becoming a site reliability engineer?

Travis was a developer before he was asked to interview for the position of a site reliability engineer.

Why was Travis initially struggling with Kubernetes?

Travis was struggling with Kubernetes because he lacked foundational concepts needed to understand it, which made the platform confusing for him.

What does the CNCF annual survey from February 2022 indicate about Kubernetes adoption?

The survey indicates that a record high of 96% of organizations are either using or evaluating Kubernetes, marking a significant increase from previous years.

What is the importance of understanding containerization before learning Kubernetes?

Understanding containerization is crucial because Kubernetes is used to orchestrate containers, and having a grasp of container basics helps in comprehending Kubernetes operations.

Can you explain what a Dockerfile is and its purpose?

A Dockerfile contains instructions for building an image of an application. It is used by Docker to create a container image that includes all the dependencies, code, and commands needed to run the application.

What is the significance of YAML in Kubernetes?

YAML, or YAML Ain't Markup Language, is used in Kubernetes for writing configuration files called manifests. These files declare the desired state of Kubernetes objects, which Kubernetes then ensures is maintained.

Why is networking knowledge important for learning Kubernetes?

Networking knowledge is important because Kubernetes requires an understanding of how pods, containers, and services communicate within the cluster and with external destinations.

What is the recommended course for learning Kubernetes according to Travis?

Travis recommends the 'Certified Kubernetes Administrator with Practice Tests' course on Udemy as the best route to learn Kubernetes.

What is the role of Cast AI in Kubernetes management?

Cast AI is an all-in-one platform for Kubernetes automation, optimization, security, and cost management. It provides features like savings reports, cost monitoring dashboards, and security reports to help manage Kubernetes clusters efficiently.

Why is terminal proficiency important for interacting with a Kubernetes cluster?

Terminal proficiency is important because the main way of managing a Kubernetes cluster is through the command line interface (CLI) using tools like kubectl, which requires familiarity with Linux commands and editors like vi or Nano.

What is the significance of the 'Core Concepts' section in the recommended Kubernetes course?

The 'Core Concepts' section is paramount for beginners as it provides a clear visualization and explanation of Kubernetes components and their interactions, which is essential for understanding the platform.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to Learning Kubernetes

Travis introduces his experience as a site reliability engineer and the challenges he faced learning Kubernetes without foundational knowledge. He emphasizes the importance of understanding key concepts before diving into Kubernetes, citing industry adoption statistics from the CNCF annual survey that show a significant increase in Kubernetes usage. Travis promises to share the foundational concepts necessary for learning Kubernetes effectively and suggests a free resource for further learning.

05:01

📚 Prerequisite Knowledge for Kubernetes

The paragraph outlines the prerequisites for learning Kubernetes, starting with an understanding of containerization and orchestration. Travis explains the concept of Docker containers and the importance of container images as a blueprint for running applications. He also mentions the significance of cloud basics for those deploying Kubernetes in the cloud and introduces the role of YAML in creating declarative configurations for Kubernetes objects. Additionally, he discusses the importance of networking basics and terminal proficiency for managing Kubernetes clusters.

10:02

🔧 Practical Tips for Kubernetes Learning

Travis provides practical advice for learning Kubernetes, including the need for hands-on experience with Docker and a basic understanding of cloud services, YAML syntax, networking, and command-line proficiency. He recommends specific resources to get up to speed with these prerequisites, such as a free YouTube video for Docker and the AWS Cloud Practitioner course for cloud concepts. Travis also highlights the benefits of using Cast AI for cost management and optimization of Kubernetes clusters.

🎓 Recommended Course for Kubernetes Learning

Travis recommends a specific course on Udemy for those ready to learn Kubernetes, detailing its advantages such as hands-on labs, clear explanations of core concepts, and regular sales making it affordable. He describes the course's use of interactive terminals for practice and its helpful visualizations for understanding Kubernetes components. Travis also invites viewers to share their thoughts on additional prerequisites and encourages engagement through likes and subscriptions.

Keywords

💡Site Reliability Engineer

A site reliability engineer (SRE) is a role that combines aspects of software engineering and operations to ensure the reliability and availability of applications and services. In the video, the speaker mentions transitioning from a developer to an SRE, highlighting the diverse tasks involved in the SRE role, such as containerizing applications and deploying them to Kubernetes, which is a critical aspect of modern SRE responsibilities.

💡Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system for automating application deployment, scaling, and management. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding Kubernetes, as it is widely adopted in the industry with a significant increase in organizations using or evaluating it. The speaker shares their experience learning Kubernetes and the foundational concepts necessary for success in working with it.

💡Containerization

Containerization refers to the process of packaging software into containers that can be run in any environment. The video script explains that understanding containerization is crucial before learning Kubernetes, as it involves deploying containerized applications to the Kubernetes platform. Docker is given as an example of a popular containerization platform that allows developers to create images and run containers from those images.

💡Orchestration

Orchestration in the context of the video refers to the management of containerized applications within a Kubernetes environment. It involves automating the deployment, scaling, and operation of application containers across a cluster of hosts. The script mentions that understanding orchestration is a prerequisite for learning Kubernetes, as it is the core function that Kubernetes performs.

💡Docker

Docker is a containerization platform that allows developers to package their applications and dependencies into a container image. The video script uses Docker as an example to explain the process of containerization, including creating a Dockerfile, building an image, and running containers. Docker is a foundational tool for understanding how applications are containerized before they are managed by Kubernetes.

💡Cloud Basics

Cloud Basics in the video refers to understanding the fundamental concepts of cloud computing, such as virtual machines, load balancers, and cloud services. The script mentions that many companies deploy Kubernetes in the cloud, and having a basic understanding of cloud concepts is necessary for effectively using Kubernetes, especially when it comes to managing costs and leveraging cloud services.

💡YAML

YAML, which stands for 'YAML Ain't Markup Language,' is a human-readable data serialization language used for writing configuration files. In the context of Kubernetes, YAML is used to write manifest files that describe the desired state of Kubernetes objects. The video script emphasizes the importance of understanding YAML for declaring resources in Kubernetes and provides an example of a deployment object written in YAML.

💡Networking Basics

Networking Basics in the video refers to the foundational knowledge of networking principles that are essential for understanding how Kubernetes manages communication within a cluster. The script mentions that Kubernetes requires an understanding of networking concepts such as OSI layers, protocols, and services, as they are integral to the functioning of Kubernetes clusters.

💡Terminal Proficiency

Terminal proficiency is the ability to effectively use the command line interface to interact with systems and applications. The video script highlights the importance of being proficient with the terminal when working with Kubernetes, as the kubectl CLI is the primary method of managing Kubernetes clusters. It also mentions the use of aliases to streamline command usage.

💡Certified Kubernetes Administrator

The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) is a certification for individuals who demonstrate a deep understanding of Kubernetes. The video script recommends a course for CKA preparation, emphasizing the importance of hands-on practice, understanding core concepts, and the value of the course's interactive learning environment for mastering Kubernetes.

Highlights

Travis shares his experience transitioning from developer to site reliability engineer, emphasizing the importance of foundational knowledge in learning new technologies like Kubernetes.

Kubernetes is gaining widespread industry adoption, with a 96% increase in organizations using or evaluating it from 2019 to 2022, according to the CNCF annual survey.

Understanding containerization and orchestration is crucial before diving into Kubernetes, as it is the foundation for deploying containerized applications and services.

Docker is introduced as a popular containerization platform, with a detailed explanation of how to create Dockerfiles and build container images.

Kubernetes is defined as an orchestration environment for automating deployment, management, scaling, and networking of containers.

Travis recommends learning the basics of containerization with Docker before moving on to Kubernetes for a smoother learning curve.

Cloud basics are a prerequisite for Kubernetes learning, especially when deploying in the cloud, which is common with 79% of survey participants using cloud platforms for hosting.

Travis suggests a basic Cloud course, like the AWS Cloud Practitioner course, to familiarize oneself with cloud services that work with Kubernetes.

Cast AI is introduced as a tool for Kubernetes automation, optimization, security, and cost management, which can be particularly useful for cloud-deployed Kubernetes.

YAML, a data serialization language, is essential for writing Kubernetes configuration files, known as manifests, which describe the desired state of Kubernetes objects.

Travis provides a YAML example to illustrate how Kubernetes uses declarative configurations to manage infrastructure.

Networking basics are highlighted as a necessary prerequisite for understanding Kubernetes, especially Linux networking and various service types.

Terminal proficiency is crucial for interacting with Kubernetes clusters using the kubectl CLI, requiring familiarity with Linux commands and editors like vi or Nano.

Travis recommends using aliases in the terminal to streamline interactions with Kubernetes, such as 'kgp' instead of typing 'kubectl get pods'.

A course recommendation is given for the 'Certified Kubernetes Administrator with Practice Tests' on Udemy, praised for its hands-on labs and clear explanation of core concepts.

Travis emphasizes the importance of understanding prerequisites before learning Kubernetes to avoid confusion and ensure a successful learning experience.

The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their thoughts on additional prerequisites for learning Kubernetes and to engage in the comment section.

Transcripts

what's up everybody it's Travis here

from travis. media so back in 2019 I

landed a job as a site reliability

engineer prior to that I was a developer

but this local company landed a big

contract and needed a lot of people

quickly and so I was asked to interview

for the position and I landed it but I

wasn't a site reliability engineer it's

a well-defined job title but at this

company it was more like a person that

is tasked to do it all so my first task

or the first contract I found myself on

was containerizing applications and

deploying them to kubernetes well I had

no experience with kubernetes I thought

I could learn it quickly but I soon

learned that I couldn't why because I

didn't know the foundational Concepts

needed first before attempting to

understand kubernetes it made little

sense to me I struggled with it because

of my lack of understanding of the

things you need to know first so in this

video if you're learning kubernetes

you're planning to learn kubernetes or

your company uses it and you just want

to get more familiar with it I'm going

to tell you what those Concepts were

that I lacked so that you can learn earn

them and find more success in your

journey of learning kubernetes so

kubernetes isn't going anywhere in fact

it's gaining more and more adoption in

the industry here's some stats so the

cncf annual survey released in February

2022 with more than 3,800 participants

from six continents produce this number

one a record high of 96% of

organizations are either using or

evaluating kubernetes a major increase

from 83% in 2020 and 78% in 2019 so

record high of 96% of organizations

number two 93% of organizations are

using or plan to use containers in

production and then third more than 5.6

million developers are thought to be

using kubernetes today it's not going

anywhere it's a good time to learn it

but you'll need to know these

foundations first so let's go ahead and

get started with that and I'm either

going to explain these Concepts to you

or I'll point you to a free resource

that I recommend that'll get you up to

speed so go and get familiar with these

first and then go ah head first into

kubernetes and when whenever you're

ready to learn kubernetes be sure to

check out the resource that I mentioned

at the end of this video as I think it's

the best resource out there currently

hands down with all that said let's look

at these prerequisites number one is the

obvious you need to understand

containerization and the orchestration

of containers so here's the big picture

you deploy containerized apps and

services to kubernetes thus it's

Paramount that you understand

containerization now Docker defines a

container as a standard unit of software

that packages up code in all its

dependencies so the application runs

quickly and reliably from one Computing

environment to another so using Docker

as an example which Docker is a popular

containerization platform if you want to

containerize your app you'll first

create a Docker file that has all the

instructions for building an image of

your app so if you're containerizing a

react app you might start off with a

node runtime and then you'll add your

package.json then you'll add your

command to npm install then you'll add

your code then you'll add the npm Run

command that would be your Docker file

and then once you have this file

assembled you would use Docker to build

these instructions into an image and

this container image is the blueprint

for running your app it includes

everything you need to run it all your

dependencies all your codes commands Etc

and this image then becomes a container

at runtime when you run it so when you

run the image it's going to follow those

steps it's going to add your

package.json run npm install copy over

your code npm run and your container's

running so if you go to an image

repository like dockerhub you can find

thousands of of images that you can then

pull down to your computer and run in a

container there's images for pretty much

anything so whoever has the image can

run it and therefore have all the

dependencies and everything needed for

that app to run on its own in an

isolated container you can spin it up

easily you can spin it down you can run

it with multiple copies for high

availability and you can imagine the

ease and portability of such containers

I give it to you it works you give it to

me it works we're all running the same

thing the same blueprint with all of the

same dependencies or let's spend been up

five and load balance between them but

how do these containers work in the big

picture sure it's nice to say you can

run it locally and it works for

everybody but what's the big idea here

well that's where kubernetes comes in

kubernetes is an environment for you to

orchestrate or automate the deployment

the management the scaling the

networking of these containers so prior

to learning and tackling the basics of

kubernetes learn the basics of

containerization with an engine like

Docker it's free learn the basics of

images and containers building and

running them and containerize a few apps

for yourself and you'll be good now I

have a free YouTube video that teaches

you Docker in 1 hour practically and by

the end of it you'll have two

containerized applications a react app

and a WordPress app and I'll show you

how it all works how to download it how

to get started basic commands Etc so

I'll put a link to that below or above

be sure to check that out that will get

you up to speed now the second

prerequisite you'll need prior to

learning kubernetes is cloud Basics

companies often choose to deploy

kubernetes in the cloud as a managed

solution the the cloud provider AWS

Azure Etc manages the kubernetes cluster

on its own virtual machines or servers

and then from there it can tie into all

the other services that that cloud

provider offers like identity and access

logging networking all of that and if

you want to revisit the stats that we

mentioned at the beginning of this video

79% of participants in that survey rely

on cloud platforms for their kubernetes

hosting so say you're working with

Amazon's kubernetes managed service eks

you'll need familiar ity with Cloud

Concepts like virtual machines and load

balancers so consider taking a basic

Cloud course like the AWS Cloud

practitioner course on udemy to

familiarize yourself better with their

services that work with kubernetes now I

do want to mention when you deploy

kubernetes in the cloud it can get

expensive quick without you even

realizing it if you're using or trying

out a cloud managed kubernetes solution

or your company's currently using one

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take advantage of this deal today back

to the video now the third prerequisite

you'll need to know before attempting to

learn kubernetes is yaml in declarative

configurations yaml which stands for

yaml ain't mark workup language is a

data serialization language for writing

configuration files it's a superet of

Json and in fact every Json file is also

a valid yaml file now the resources in

kubernetes are created in a declarative

way you declare how you want things to

be in kubernetes will make sure that it

meets that declaration and that

declaration is provided in a yaml

configuration file called a manifest

file this manifest file again describes

the desired state of a kubernetes object

and kubernetes will make sure at all

times that it meets that declaration if

you change a value it will change its

infrastructure accordingly so here's an

example of a deployment object written

in yaml this yaml defines a deployment

object with three replicas and there are

four sections there's the API version

which every object gets an API version

there's a kind there's the metadata and

then there's the spec the kind is

deployment the name of this deployment

is engine X deployment as indicated

there in the metadata and under the spec

you see the Pod template specification

indicating that the pods will run one

container engine X and there will be

three pods and once this is defined you

run a cube cuddle apply command with

this file in the argument and the

deployment object is created based on

this configuration declaration so yaml

files are configuration files that house

the Declaration of your kubernetes

objects you can learn the syntax very

quickly with the tutorial like this I'll

put a link below to this I think it's a

good getting started yaml tutorial but

really when you look up an object in the

kubernetes documentation like I looked

up deployments there's so many examples

for you to choose from if you scroll

down it gives you lots of examples you

can just take this copy and paste it and

then work from there and that way you

can figure it out on the go now the

fourth prerequisite before learning

kubernetes is to have a grasp of

networking Basics many developers have a

weakness when it comes to networking and

it has nothing to do with them

personally it's just not really a huge

requirement to writing code it's more

Ops and system admin focused than it is

developer focused but kubernetes

requires at least a base understanding

of networking because of all the moving

parts and how everything's

interconnected with within it and

specifically Linux networking in

kubernetes there's communication between

the pods and the containers within them

there's pod to service networking and

there's networking out to external

destinations and then the services have

different service types like cluster IP

node Port Etc so you'll need to grasp

networking Concepts like OSI layers

protocols IPS DNS gateways routes if you

skip this you'll find things complicated

when you attempt to learn kubernetes

networking was a huge barrier for me and

a big reason why kubernetes was so

difficult at first now if you take that

udemy course that I'm going to recommend

you at the end of this there's a great

networking section in that course that

covers DNS in Docker networking cni TLS

in certificates if you want to go more

in depth with it I'll link below to a

4-Hour YouTube video that'll walk you

through all of these networking Basics

so when you have a free weekend make

sure you check that out and the fifth

prerequisite to learning kubernetes is

terminal proficiency being good at the

command line to interact with your

kubernetes cluster you'll use the cube

cuddle or Cube CTL CLI this will be the

main way of managing your kubernetes

cluster from the terminal thus you'll

need to be proficient with Linux

commands and with using the vi or Nano

editor you'll be using the terminal a

lot and then with Cube cuddle make sure

you use a lot of aliases for instance

never type the word Cube cuddle like

I've been doing always put an alias for

the letter K you want to get pods K get

pods or shorten it to kgp so those are

the five prerequisites make sure you

have a good grasp on them you don't need

to master them you don't need to spend a

year on them just make sure you

understand them well enough so when you

bump up against them in kubernetes

you'll know what to do now for this

course recommendation when you do get

ready to learn kubernetes this is the

best route to go in my opinion the

course that I took at the time and the

course that I recommend is the certified

kubernetes administrator with practice

tests course on udemy it's a real gem

let me give you three reasons why first

the instructor also runs code Cloud

which is a wonderful site for devops and

you get to use all of their labs with

this course so you use their interactive

terminal that's already set up all the

challenges will create pods and

scenarios for you and you'll be able to

use that to solve all of the challenges

of the course this gets you Hands-On and

it gives you lots of practice with

kubernetes there's like 12 15 questions

for everything you learn number two The

Core Concepts section in this course is

Paramount for every beginner in

kubernetes if you try to go to the

kubernetes doxs to get the big picture

you're going to find it very difficult

because there's a lot of moving Parts

like the scheduler the proxy the API

server the cuet and you're bound to get

confused this course gives you a really

really helpful visualization using boats

and a dock to explain how all of the

parts work this explanation was the

light bulb moment for me when first

learning kubernetes and third it's you

to me there's a sale every couple of

days making this course like 14 bucks be

sure you check out travis. media udemy

to find out when the next sale is so you

can pick this course up so I hope this

video was helpful I hope you get through

these prerequisites and learn kubernetes

and find success in your endeavors so

let me ask you what prerequisite did I

leave out what do you think is required

before learning kubernetes I'd love to

hear it if you want leave a comment

below let's get the discussion going if

you found this video helpful give it a

thumbs up if you haven't subscribed

consider doing so and I'll see you in

the next

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