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Azure Container Service vs Kubernetes: What are the differences?
Azure Container Service (AKS) and Kubernetes are container orchestration platforms facilitating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Let's explore the key differences between them:
Scalability: Azure Container Service (ACS) provides scalability through its integration with various container orchestration tools, including Kubernetes. Kubernetes, on the other hand, natively supports scalability of applications by allowing multiple instances of containers to be created and managed easily.
Managed vs Self-Managed: ACS is a managed container service that simplifies the deployment and management of containers by abstracting away the underlying infrastructure. Kubernetes, on the other hand, is a self-managed container orchestration system that requires more manual configuration and management.
Platform Compatibility: ACS offers support for multiple container orchestration platforms, including Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and Mesosphere DC/OS. Kubernetes, however, is a container orchestration platform in itself, providing a comprehensive set of features and functionalities specifically designed for managing containers and containerized applications.
Flexibility: ACS allows users to choose their preferred container orchestration platform, providing flexibility for organizations that already have specific preferences and requirements. Kubernetes, on the other hand, offers a highly flexible and extensible platform that can be customized and adapted to meet different use cases and scenarios.
Ecosystem and Community: ACS benefits from being part of the larger Azure ecosystem, which offers a wide range of complementary services and integrations. Kubernetes, on the other hand, has a vibrant and active open-source community that continuously contributes to its development, providing a robust ecosystem of tools, plugins, and extensions.
Compatibility with Existing Infrastructure: ACS supports hybrid deployments by seamlessly integrating with existing infrastructure and on-premises resources. Kubernetes, on the other hand, can also be deployed on-premises using tools like Kubernetes in Docker (KIND), allowing organizations to leverage their existing infrastructure investments without the need to migrate to a cloud-based solution.
In summary, Azure Container Service streamlines Kubernetes deployment and management on the Azure platform, offering integration with other Azure services. Kubernetes, being platform-agnostic, provides a broader scope for deployment flexibility across different cloud environments.
Our whole DevOps stack consists of the following tools:
- GitHub (incl. GitHub Pages/Markdown for Documentation, GettingStarted and HowTo's) for collaborative review and code management tool
- Respectively Git as revision control system
- SourceTree as Git GUI
- Visual Studio Code as IDE
- CircleCI for continuous integration (automatize development process)
- Prettier / TSLint / ESLint as code linter
- SonarQube as quality gate
- Docker as container management (incl. Docker Compose for multi-container application management)
- VirtualBox for operating system simulation tests
- Kubernetes as cluster management for docker containers
- Heroku for deploying in test environments
- nginx as web server (preferably used as facade server in production environment)
- SSLMate (using OpenSSL) for certificate management
- Amazon EC2 (incl. Amazon S3) for deploying in stage (production-like) and production environments
- PostgreSQL as preferred database system
- Redis as preferred in-memory database/store (great for caching)
The main reason we have chosen Kubernetes over Docker Swarm is related to the following artifacts:
- Key features: Easy and flexible installation, Clear dashboard, Great scaling operations, Monitoring is an integral part, Great load balancing concepts, Monitors the condition and ensures compensation in the event of failure.
- Applications: An application can be deployed using a combination of pods, deployments, and services (or micro-services).
- Functionality: Kubernetes as a complex installation and setup process, but it not as limited as Docker Swarm.
- Monitoring: It supports multiple versions of logging and monitoring when the services are deployed within the cluster (Elasticsearch/Kibana (ELK), Heapster/Grafana, Sysdig cloud integration).
- Scalability: All-in-one framework for distributed systems.
- Other Benefits: Kubernetes is backed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), huge community among container orchestration tools, it is an open source and modular tool that works with any OS.
Pros of Azure Container Service
- Easy to setup, very agnostic6
- It supports Kubernetes, Mesos DC/OS and Docker Swarm3
- It has a nice command line interface (CLI) tool2
Pros of Kubernetes
- Leading docker container management solution166
- Simple and powerful129
- Open source107
- Backed by google76
- The right abstractions58
- Scale services25
- Replication controller20
- Permission managment11
- Supports autoscaling9
- Simple8
- Cheap8
- Self-healing6
- Open, powerful, stable5
- Reliable5
- No cloud platform lock-in5
- Promotes modern/good infrascture practice5
- Scalable4
- Quick cloud setup4
- Custom and extensibility3
- Captain of Container Ship3
- Cloud Agnostic3
- Backed by Red Hat3
- Runs on azure3
- A self healing environment with rich metadata3
- Everything of CaaS2
- Gke2
- Golang2
- Easy setup2
- Expandable2
- Sfg2
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Cons of Azure Container Service
Cons of Kubernetes
- Steep learning curve16
- Poor workflow for development15
- Orchestrates only infrastructure8
- High resource requirements for on-prem clusters4
- Too heavy for simple systems2
- Additional vendor lock-in (Docker)1
- More moving parts to secure1
- Additional Technology Overhead1