The digital dimension of the business world has created an ever-competing environment, which accepts nothing but constant growth and development. In pursuit of modern solutions and improvements, many users face the necessity to acquire a new level of IT structure – containerization, and its main provider Kubernetes, powered by Google Inc.
Kubernetes is a powerful solution for managing the containerized environment and improving the performance of the IT architecture. When opting for Kubernetes, the first important step is the choice of the basis – bare-metal servers or virtual machines (VMs). Let’s explore the topic and compare the ways each option operates, letting you define the one that outlines your goals.
What Are Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is one of the most common open-source platforms to use when deploying, scaling, and managing microservice applications, each one being developed as a container.
A Kubernetes cluster is a group of nodes that run containerized apps across multiple physical, virtual, and cloud servers.
Kubernetes is a downright flexible solution, as it can be exploited both on the bare metal cloud with dedicated hardware or a cloud virtual machine.
Gcore, a leading provider of Managed Kubernetes on Bare Metal, says bare metal clusters often have lower latency compared to VM-based clusters due to the lack of a virtualization layer. This is crucial for real-time response applications like IoT, gaming, or real-time analytics. While VM-based clusters offer flexibility, they typically show higher latency in data processing speed and network response times. However, the choice between bare metal and VM-based solutions depends on specific needs, including scalability and workload requirements.
| Bare metal Kubernetes | VM-based clusters | |
| Data Processing Speed (TB/hr) | Higher | Lower |
| Network Latency (ms) | Lower | Higher |
| Disk Latency (ms) | Lower | Higher |
Kubernetes on Virtual Machines (VMs)
A Kubernetes Virtual Machine (VM) environment imitates the characteristics of a physical computer, as it also includes CPU, storage, memory, and network interface, yet, it allows more independence in functioning.
One physical machine can contain a multitude of virtual machines, each one running its own operating system. Such an environment enables ground for developing, testing, and running containerized solutions, each one being a part of the system, yet functioning as an independent part as well.
Provided Kubernetes is built within a virtualized infrastructure, it simplifies the maintenance routine and allows more freedom in scaling the system upwards or downwards. Cloud services offer ready-to-operate services to build containerized systems of applications according to the demand.
Advantages of Kubernetes on VMS
- Non-complicated setup and deployment
Virtual machines offer a relatively high level of isolation and independence of operating systems regardless of the underlying hardware. Virtual machines can be created, modified, and destroyed without influencing the whole system, which provides a perfect opportunity for scaling up or down the solutions considering the demands.
- Uninterrupted functioning
When Kubernetes is run across several data centers, it improves uptime and risk tolerance. In case the hardware or the virtual machines fail to perform well, the clusters will be redistributed to well-functioning nodes.
- Cost efficiency
Deployment of Kubernetes on VMs takes less time and effort and helps to reduce the over cost of implementation, as there is no need to invest in the physical hardware. If there is no need for a multitude of nodes, they can all be created and run as VMs on a limited number of physical servers.
- Isolated functioning
Kubernetes based on VMs offers an isolated environment for every service. They can cooperate and communicate with each other, yet, they are all kept within one container.
Disadvantages of Kubernetes on VMS
The downsides rarely happen, considering a well-developed architecture of virtualization, yet it is important to consider them.
- Resource contention
As long as one physical server may contain multiple forms of VMs, there can be resource contention, which may affect the overall performance.
- Overhead computing
Virtualization may possibly cause a certain level of processing overhead, which can lead to an excess usage of resources, and thus, reduce the overall performance of the system with the growth of the workflow.
Kubernetes on Bare Metal
Kubernetes development on bare metal is based on the usage of physical hardware, instead of virtual machines, which are managed by a hypervisor layer. Running Kubernetes on bare metal allows more control over the system infrastructure, yet it requires a higher level of expertise regarding hardware management.
Advantages of Kubernetes on Bare Metal
- Top-level of performance
Bare metal allows the companies to choose the proper system configuration, and use its capacity to the fullest. Company-dedicated servers are the source of uninterrupted and data-intensive processing power, which is a fundamental component of efficient performance.
- Scalability
A bare metal ‘Kubernetisation’ allows horizontal and vertical upgrades of the system infrastructure according to the workload requirements and related timing. If there is a need for an extension, the organizers just add new servers into the system.
- Reliability and security
Since the hardware and its resources are fully controlled by the organizers, there is a low risk of performance failure, security vulnerabilities, and breaches. Moreover, there are better chances to optimize the performance of the related applications at any time.
- Extended control and security
Bare metal Kubernetes provides full control over network storage, interfaces, devices, and memory capacity with the ability to fine-tune their performance. The users are also free in the choice of their operation system provided they possess an extended level of expertise.
Disadvantages of Kubernetes on Bare Metal
Although bare metal offers a treasure trove of top-performance solutions, it also has a few downsides, mainly created by the complexity of the system.
- Financial load
Bare metal Kubernetes requires a dedicated system of physical hardware, and thus, rather significant financial investments. With the increase in the workload, there will be a need to extend the infrastructure of servers as well. Apart from a hardware initial investment, there is the cost of power, connectivity, ongoing maintenance, and updates to consider.
- Complexity of deployment
Bare metal servers require a profound level of expertise regarding hardware resources, storage, security, and networking. All the components of the performance like the software, hardware drivers, and operating systems should be compatible and well-coordinated, which is also based on the tech skillfulness of the team.
- Difficult scalability
Although bare metal allows all types of product growth, its scalability is rather challenging, as the load solutions will require adding new hardware. Such changes may cause temporary downtimes, deteriorating the system’s performance. Besides, it takes time to plan and coordinate the infusion of new components into the old ones.
The Bottom Line
Kubernetes is one of the most common solutions to use to keep the development process up and running. Kubernetes itself offers a set of tools to develop, deploy, and manage containerized applications. It can be run on bare metal and virtual machines, depending on the requests of the company.
A bare metal location is typically more expensive, resourceful, and requires a highly-skilled team of employees, who have an extended level of expertise.
Virtual Machines, on the other hand, are easier to set up, have a lower price without compromising the quality, more opportunities for scalability of the options, and thus, more timely solutions regarding the functioning of the system.
