How good are we? Well, we become only the second ever newsletter (after the Hustle) to be acquired by HubSpot. Our small team of writers works hard to put out the most enjoyable and informative newsletter on AI around.

It’s completely free, and you’ll get a bunch of free AI resources when you subscribe.

Click here to subscribe

🛠️ TOOL OF THE DAY

Puzzle Ansible Training - Ansible Visual Workshop on multiple topics at different levels of difficulty, with labs.

🧠 USE CASE

Kubernetes Patterns - Part 1

If you've been working with Kubernetes for a while, you know it’s more than just running containers.

We don’t just throw pods into a cluster and hope for the best - we use patterns that solve real world problems.

Kubernetes is a huge space, and patterns help make sense of it.

Let’s start with some essential ones. This is Part 1, and we’ll pick up more in the next editions.

I’ve tried to simplify and make each pattern self explanatory here.

Sometimes, your app isn’t ready to start until something else is done first.

Maybe you need to fetch secrets, apply a database migration, or wait for another service to be available.

Instead of baking all that logic into the main container, you can use an init container.

It runs first, does its job, and once it’s done, the main app container starts.

If the init container fails, the pod restarts, so nothing runs in a half baked state.

Think of a sidecar as a helper that runs next to your main app.

It could be handling logging, monitoring, security, or even injecting a service mesh proxy.

Since it’s in the same pod, it shares resources and can talk to the main app over localhost.

This keeps the main container focused on its core job while the sidecar handles supporting tasks.

Just be mindful of resource usage - a misconfigured sidecar can end up consuming more than the app itself.

Sometimes, your app needs to talk to external services, but you don’t want it handling things like retries, authentication, or connection pooling.

That’s where an ambassador container comes in. It sits between your app and the outside world, managing connections so the main app doesn’t have to worry about them.

This is commonly used in API gateways or when integrating with external services that need extra handling.

Not all apps speak the same language, and sometimes you need a bridge.

An adapter transforms data into a format that an external system understands.

You see this pattern a lot in monitoring - an app spits out logs in one format, but before they get shipped to a monitoring system, an adapter cleans them up and makes them readable.

It’s a simple but effective way to keep different systems working together smoothly.

Kubernetes works on the idea of desired state - you declare what you want, and it keeps things in line.

Controllers are what make that happen. They watch for changes and take action if something drifts from the expected state.

For example, the Deployment controller makes sure the right number of pods are running.

You can also build custom controllers to automate things specific to your needs.

The key here is to make sure they don’t overload the API server with constant updates.

Operators take controllers a step further. They don’t just keep things running - they understand the full lifecycle of an application.

This is how you automate complex tasks like database backups, upgrades, and scaling based on workload patterns.

They use Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) to extend Kubernetes with new behaviors.

While powerful, operators can be tricky to debug, so good logging and monitoring are a must.

Understanding these patterns when and where to use them is what sets apart experienced Kubernetes engineers from those just starting out.

In the process, don’t let your Kubernetes costs break your heart 💔

PerfectScale’s Automated K8s Optimization Platform helps you maintain a stable, predictable Kubernetes environment while optimize your cloud spend today!

Try it out !

I run a DevOps and Cloud consulting agency and have helped 17+ businesses, including Stanford, Hearst Corporation, CloudTruth, and more.

What people say after working with me: Genuine testimonials

When your business needs my services, book a free 1:1 business consultation.

You may even like:

Kubernetes Deployment Strategies

Looking to promote your company, product, service, or event to 37,000+ TechOps Professionals? Let's work together.