Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
Azure Resource Manager vs Kubernetes: What are the differences?
Key Differences between Azure Resource Manager and Kubernetes
Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Kubernetes are both widely used in cloud computing, but they have distinct functionalities and purposes. Here are the key differences between the two:
Scope and Focus: Azure Resource Manager is a cloud management service provided by Microsoft Azure, while Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform. ARM primarily focuses on managing resources and services in the Azure environment, such as virtual machines, storage accounts, and networking components. On the other hand, Kubernetes focuses on automated deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications across clusters of hosts.
Abstraction Level: ARM provides a higher-level abstraction for managing Azure resources, allowing users to define and deploy resources together as a group. It simplifies the management and provisioning of resources by providing declarative templates and resource providers. Conversely, Kubernetes operates at a lower-level abstraction, focusing on containers and their lifecycle management, providing features like auto-scaling, load balancing, and service discovery.
Workload Type: Azure Resource Manager is designed to handle diverse workloads and services within Azure, supporting both platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offerings. It provides capabilities for managing virtual machines, databases, web apps, and more. Kubernetes, on the other hand, is specifically designed for containerized workloads, making it well-suited for modern application development and microservices architecture.
Cluster Management: ARM provides centralized management for Azure resources, allowing users to deploy and manage resources consistently across multiple Azure regions and subscriptions. It provides fine-grained access control and role-based authorization for resources. Meanwhile, Kubernetes focuses on managing container clusters, orchestrating containerized applications across multiple hosts, and providing self-healing capabilities.
Community and Ecosystem: Kubernetes has a large and active community, with contributions from various organizations and cloud providers. It has a vast ecosystem of tools, frameworks, and integrations, making it highly extensible and adaptable. Azure Resource Manager, being a component of Azure, benefits from the broader Azure ecosystem, offering integration with various Azure services and robust documentation and support.
Vendor Neutrality: Kubernetes is an open-source project managed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which means it can be used across different cloud providers and on-premises environments with portability. Azure Resource Manager, on the other hand, is a proprietary service provided by Microsoft Azure, specifically designed for managing Azure resources, limiting its portability outside of the Azure ecosystem.
In summary, Azure Resource Manager is a cloud management service provided by Azure, focusing on managing Azure resources, while Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform designed for managing containerized applications across clusters, with a broader community and ecosystem.
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 Resource Manager
- Bicep - Simple Declarative Language4
- RBAC and Policies in templates2
- Deep integration with Azure services like Azure Policy1
- Day 1 resource support1
- Versioned deployment via Blueprints1
- Over 1K samples the QuickStart repo1
- Infrastructure-as-Code1
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
Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions
Cons of Azure Resource Manager
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
Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions
What is Azure Resource Manager?
What is Kubernetes?
Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
What companies use Azure Resource Manager?
Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions
What tools integrate with Azure Resource Manager?
What tools integrate with Kubernetes?
Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions
Blog Posts
+1
+2
+9
+11
+11+7
+12
+2