How Do I Deploy Kubernetes On-Premises?

Kubernetes is a tool that helps us manage containers. It is open-source and helps us automate how we deploy, scale, and handle containerized applications. When we deploy Kubernetes on our own servers, we can keep control over our infrastructure. At the same time, we can use the strong features that Kubernetes gives us for managing workloads with containers.

In this article, we will look at how to deploy Kubernetes on our own servers. We will talk about what we need before we start, the different ways to install it, and how to set up our environment for Kubernetes. We will also give clear steps for installing Kubernetes with kubeadm. We will explain how to set up networking for our cluster, the common uses for on-premises deployments, and how to monitor and manage our cluster. Finally, we will share best practices to keep our Kubernetes deployment safe.

  • How Can We Effectively Deploy Kubernetes On-Premises?
  • What Are the Prerequisites for Deploying Kubernetes On-Premises?
  • Which Installation Methods Can We Use for Kubernetes On-Premises?
  • How Do We Prepare Our Environment for Kubernetes Deployment?
  • What Are the Steps to Install Kubernetes Using kubeadm?
  • How Do We Set Up a Network for Our On-Premises Kubernetes Cluster?
  • What Are Common Use Cases for On-Premises Kubernetes Deployments?
  • How Can We Monitor and Manage Our On-Premises Kubernetes Cluster?
  • What Are the Best Practices for Securing Our Kubernetes Deployment?
  • Frequently Asked Questions

If we want to know more about Kubernetes, we can read these articles: What is Kubernetes and How Does it Simplify Container Management? and Why Should We Use Kubernetes for Our Applications?.

What Are the Prerequisites for Deploying Kubernetes On-Premises?

Before we deploy Kubernetes on-premises, we need to check if we have these prerequisites:

  1. Hardware Requirements:

    • At least 2 CPUs for each node.
    • At least 4 GB RAM for each node. We recommend 8 GB for master nodes.
    • At least 20 GB of free disk space for each node.

  2. Operating System:

    • We should use a compatible Linux distribution like Ubuntu, CentOS, or Red Hat. Make sure the OS is up to date.
    • We must disable swap memory because Kubernetes needs it to be off.
    sudo swapoff -a

  3. Network Configuration:

    • All nodes must communicate with each other over the network.
    • We need to set up a DNS service for name resolution of services and pods.

  4. Container Runtime:

    • We have to install a container runtime like Docker, containerd, or CRI-O.

    To install Docker, we can run:

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker.io
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

  5. Kubernetes Tools:

    • We need to install kubectl, kubeadm, and kubelet.

    For example, to install kubectl on Ubuntu, we can do:

    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl
curl -s https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y kubectl

  6. Firewall Settings:

    • We need to open the right ports for Kubernetes components. Common ports include:
      • 6443 for the Kubernetes API server
      • 10250 for Kubelet API
      • 10251 for Kube-scheduler
      • 10252 for Kube-controller-manager
    • We must configure the firewall to allow traffic on these ports.

  7. Time Synchronization:

    • All nodes should have the same time using NTP.

    To install NTP and start the service, we can run:

    sudo apt-get install -y ntp
sudo systemctl enable ntp
sudo systemctl start ntp

  8. User Permissions:

    • We should use a user with sudo rights to run installation commands.

By checking these prerequisites, we can help make the Kubernetes deployment easier on our on-premises setup. For more information on Kubernetes basics, you can check what are the key components of a Kubernetes cluster.

Which Installation Methods Can We Use for Kubernetes On-Premises?

When we want to deploy Kubernetes on-premises, we have several ways to install it. Each way has benefits and fits different needs.

  1. Kubeadm:

    • This is a tool from Kubernetes. It helps us create and manage clusters.

    • It is good for us if we want a simple and clear installation.

    • Here are the steps:

      # Initialize the control-plane node
kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16

# To make kubectl work for our user
mkdir -p $HOME/.kube
sudo cp -i /etc/kubernetes/admin.conf $HOME/.kube/config
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) $HOME/.kube/config

# Install a pod network add-on (Flannel example)
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coreos/flannel/master/Documentation/k8s-manifests/kube-flannel.yml
  2. Kubernetes Operations (kops):

    • This tool helps us create, destroy, upgrade, and manage Kubernetes clusters.

    • It works mostly in cloud but we can also use it for on-premises.

    • To create a cluster, we can use this command:

      kops create cluster --name=mycluster.k8s.local --state=s3://my-kops-state --zones=us-east-1a
  3. Rancher:

    • Rancher is a full container management platform. It makes Kubernetes deployment easier.

    • It gives us a web interface to manage clusters and can deploy many clusters in different places.

    • To install Rancher on a Linux server, we can use:

      docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped --privileged --name rancher \
  -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
  rancher/rancher:v2.5.5
  4. Minikube:

    • Minikube is good for local development and testing of Kubernetes apps.

    • It runs a single-node Kubernetes cluster inside a VM on our laptop.

    • To start it, we can run:

      minikube start
  5. K3s:

    • K3s is a lightweight version of Kubernetes. It is easy to install and manage.

    • It is good for places with few resources.

    • To install K3s, we can use:

      curl -sfL https://get.k3s.io | sh -
  6. Bare Metal Installation:

    • We can install Kubernetes directly on bare metal servers using tools like Kubespray.

    • Kubespray uses Ansible playbooks for deployment:

      ansible-playbook -i inventory/mycluster/hosts.yaml --become --become-user=root cluster.yml
  7. OpenShift:

    • OpenShift is Red Hat’s version of Kubernetes. It has extra features for big deployments.

    • We can install it using the OpenShift installer.

    • To install OpenShift, we can run:

      ./openshift-install create cluster --dir=mycluster

Each method gives us options based on what we need for on-premises. We should choose the one that fits our needs and skill level best. For more details on how to install and configure, we can check this article about Kubernetes.

How Do We Prepare Our Environment for Kubernetes Deployment?

To prepare our environment for deploying Kubernetes on-premises, we can follow these steps:

  1. System Requirements:
    • First, we check the minimum hardware needs:
      • Master Node:
        • 2 CPU cores
        • 4 GB RAM
        • 20 GB storage
      • Worker Nodes:
        • 1 CPU core
        • 2 GB RAM
        • 10 GB storage for each node
  2. Operating System:
    • We should use a compatible Linux version like Ubuntu, CentOS, or Debian. It is important to keep the OS up to date.
  3. Network Configuration:

    • We need to make sure all nodes can talk to each other on the network. We will turn off swap memory:

      sudo swapoff -a

    • Set a static IP for each node to keep the cluster stable.

  4. Install Required Packages:

    • We can install the tools and packages that we need:

      sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl
  5. Container Runtime:

    • We must install a container runtime like Docker or containerd. For example, to install Docker, we can use:

      sudo apt-get install -y docker.io
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker
  6. Kubernetes Tools:

    • We will install kubeadm, kubelet, and kubectl:

      curl -s https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
sudo bash -c 'echo "deb https://apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list'
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y kubelet kubeadm kubectl
sudo apt-mark hold kubelet kubeadm kubectl
  7. Firewall Configuration:

    • We need to allow important ports on the firewall:

      sudo ufw allow 6443/tcp  # For Kubernetes API Server
sudo ufw allow 2379:2380/tcp  # For etcd server client API
sudo ufw allow 10250/tcp  # For kubelet API
sudo ufw allow 10251/tcp  # For kube-scheduler
sudo ufw allow 10252/tcp  # For kube-controller-manager
  8. Time Synchronization:

    • We should install and set up NTP to make sure all nodes have the same time:

      sudo apt-get install -y ntp

By following these steps, we can prepare our environment for a successful on-premises Kubernetes deployment. For more details on Kubernetes parts, we can check out what are the key components of a Kubernetes cluster.

What Are the Steps to Install Kubernetes Using kubeadm?

To install Kubernetes on your own servers using kubeadm, we can follow these steps:

  1. Prepare Your Environment:

    • First, we need a Linux system like Ubuntu or CentOS.

    • Next, we should update the system:

      sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
  2. Install Docker:

    • Now, we install Docker to run containers:

      sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce
  3. Install kubeadm, kubelet, and kubectl:

    • We need to add the Kubernetes repository and install:

      sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl
curl -s https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y kubelet kubeadm kubectl
sudo apt-mark hold kubelet kubeadm kubectl
  4. Disable Swap:

    • We must turn off swap:

      sudo swapoff -a

    • To keep swap off, we can comment out the swap line in /etc/fstab.

  5. Initialize the Kubernetes Cluster:

    • On the master node, we run:

      sudo kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=192.168.0.0/16

    • After that, we should follow the instructions at the end of the output. This usually tells us how to set up kubectl for the regular user:

      mkdir -p $HOME/.kube
sudo cp -i /etc/kubernetes/admin.conf $HOME/.kube/config
sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) $HOME/.kube/config
  6. Install a Pod Network Add-On:

    • To add a network, we can use Calico:

      kubectl apply -f https://docs.projectcalico.org/manifests/calico.yaml
  7. Join Worker Nodes:
    • On each worker node, we run the command that kubeadm init gives us to join the cluster.
  8. Verify the Installation:

    • Finally, we check the status of nodes:

      kubectl get nodes

This steps will help us set up a basic Kubernetes cluster on our own servers using kubeadm. For more information about Kubernetes and its parts, we can check What Are the Key Components of a Kubernetes Cluster.

How Do We Set Up a Network for Our On-Premises Kubernetes Cluster?

Setting up a network for our on-premises Kubernetes cluster is very important. It helps pods and services talk to each other. Kubernetes uses a simple networking model. Every pod gets its own IP address. Here are the main steps to set up networking for our cluster:

  1. Choose a Networking Plugin: Kubernetes supports many network plugins (CNI). Some well-known options are:

    • Calico
    • Flannel
    • Weave Net
    • Canal

  2. Install the Networking Plugin: The steps to install the CNI can change. Here is how we can install Calico:

    kubectl apply -f https://docs.projectcalico.org/manifests/calico.yaml

  3. Configure Network Policies (Optional): If we want to add security rules, we can set up network policies. Here is a simple network policy that lets traffic between pods with a certain label:

    apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: allow-same-namespace
  namespace: default
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      role: db
  ingress:
    - from:
        - podSelector:
            matchLabels:
              role: frontend

  4. Service Networking: Kubernetes services help pods communicate. When we create a service, Kubernetes gives it a virtual IP. Here is an example of a NodePort service:

    apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: my-service
spec:
  type: NodePort
  selector:
    app: my-app
  ports:
    - port: 80
      targetPort: 8080
      nodePort: 30007

  5. DNS for Service Discovery: Kubernetes has an internal DNS. This helps services find each other using their names. We need to make sure that DNS is set up correctly. Usually, it is installed by default with kubeadm.

  6. Testing the Network: After we set up the network, we can check if pods can connect. We can use tools like curl or ping. For example, we can run a command inside a pod:

    kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -- curl http://<service-name>

By following these steps, we can set up a network for our on-premises Kubernetes cluster. This way, our applications can talk to each other without problems. For more details about Kubernetes networking, we can check the article on how does Kubernetes networking work.

What Are Common Use Cases for On-Premises Kubernetes Deployments?

On-premises Kubernetes deployments can help with many uses. They take advantage of container orchestration in local systems. Here are some common ways we can use them:

  1. Development and Testing Environments:
    • We often use on-premises Kubernetes to make separate spaces for development and testing. This helps developers to deploy and test apps in a safe place before they go live.
    • Example: We can deploy a microservices app to check how it works without changing the production systems.
  2. Data Sovereignty and Compliance:
    • In fields with strict data rules like finance and healthcare, on-premises Kubernetes helps us keep control of sensitive data. This way, we can follow the rules.
    • Example: We store customer data locally to meet GDPR or HIPAA requirements.
  3. High-Performance Computing (HPC):
    • We can use on-premises Kubernetes to handle big data and machine learning tasks. This gives us the needed resources and performance.
    • Example: Running complex simulations or training machine learning models on our local clusters.
  4. Legacy Application Modernization:
    • We can wrap old applications in containers using Kubernetes. This makes it easier to manage and scale while still using our current systems.
    • Example: Moving a large old app to a microservices setup that runs on Kubernetes.
  5. Hybrid Cloud Deployments:
    • We can set up Kubernetes on-premises to make a hybrid cloud system. This lets us mix local and public cloud services.
    • Example: Running sensitive apps on-site while using cloud resources when we need extra capacity.
  6. Edge Computing:
    • Kubernetes helps us run apps closer to where data comes from. This cuts down on lag and saves bandwidth.
    • Example: We can deploy IoT apps that need quick processing at the edge while keeping central control.
  7. Disaster Recovery and Backup Solutions:
    • We can use on-premises Kubernetes as part of our disaster recovery plan. If something goes wrong, we can quickly restore apps from container images.
    • Example: Using Kubernetes to manage backup and recovery for important applications.
  8. Security and Isolation:
    • We might choose on-premises Kubernetes to boost security. It helps us keep workloads safe from outside threats and control network access better.
    • Example: Running sensitive financial apps in a secure and isolated Kubernetes cluster.
  9. Cost Management:
    • By using Kubernetes on our existing hardware, we can save money on cloud services, especially for tasks that we can predict.
    • Example: Running a steady set of applications on-premises to lower cloud costs.
  10. Custom Application Hosting:
    • We can use on-premises Kubernetes for hosting custom apps that fit our business needs. This gives us full control over the app’s life cycle.
    • Example: Hosting a special customer relationship management (CRM) system.

These examples show how flexible and useful on-premises Kubernetes can be. It helps us make the most of our systems while meeting our business needs. For more details on Kubernetes and its uses, we can check articles like Why Should I Use Kubernetes for My Applications? and What Are the Key Components of a Kubernetes Cluster?.

How Can We Monitor and Manage Our On-Premises Kubernetes Cluster?

To monitor and manage our on-premises Kubernetes cluster well, we can use different tools and methods. These help us see how our applications and infrastructure are performing, how healthy they are, and how much resources they are using.

Monitoring Tools

  1. Prometheus: This is a well-known open-source tool for monitoring and alerting. It is made to be reliable and scalable.

    • Installation:

      kubectl create namespace monitoring
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prometheus-operator/prometheus-operator/main/bundle.yaml

    • Setup: We need to set up Prometheus to get metrics from our Kubernetes nodes and applications. We can do this by creating a ServiceMonitor resource.

  2. Grafana: This tool helps us visualize data. It works with Prometheus to create dashboards.

    • Installation:

      kubectl create namespace grafana
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/grafana/helm-charts/main/charts/grafana/values.yaml

    • Accessing Grafana: We can use port-forward to access the Grafana user interface.

      kubectl port-forward service/grafana 3000:80 -n grafana

  3. ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana): This stack is for logging and managing logs.

    • Setup:
      • Elasticsearch: We use it to store logs.
      • Logstash: This is for collecting and processing logs.
      • Kibana: With this, we can visualize logs.

  4. Kubernetes Dashboard: This is a web-based UI for Kubernetes. It helps us manage applications and fix cluster issues.

    • Installation:

      kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/dashboard/v2.5.1/aio/deploy/recommended.yaml

    • Accessing Dashboard:

      kubectl proxy

    We can access the dashboard at http://localhost:8001/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/https:kubernetes-dashboard:/proxy/.

Management Tools

  1. kubectl: This is the main command-line tool to interact with our Kubernetes cluster.

    • Common Commands:

      • Get cluster information:

        kubectl cluster-info

      • List pods:

        kubectl get pods --all-namespaces

      • View logs for a pod:

        kubectl logs <pod-name>

  2. Kube-state-metrics: This tool gives us metrics about the state of Kubernetes objects at the cluster level.

    • Installation:

      kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/kube-state-metrics/main/examples/standard/kube-state-metrics-deployment.yaml

  3. Alertmanager: This works with Prometheus. It helps to manage alerts and notifications based on set thresholds.

    • Configuration: We need to define alert rules in Prometheus files and set up Alertmanager for notifications.

Best Practices for Monitoring and Management

  • Resource Requests and Limits: We should define resource requests and limits for our pods. This prevents resource problems.
  • Regular Health Checks: We need to use readiness and liveness checks for our containers.
  • Centralized Logging: It is good to use a centralized logging system. This helps to gather logs from all pods for easy access and analysis.
  • Automated Backups: We should regularly back up important data and settings using tools like Velero.

By using these tools and following these practices, we can monitor and manage our on-premises Kubernetes cluster effectively. This helps us keep our applications running well and reliably. For more detailed insights on managing Kubernetes, we can check how to monitor my Kubernetes cluster.

What Are the Best Practices for Securing My Kubernetes Deployment?

Securing our Kubernetes deployment is very important. It helps us protect sensitive data and keeps our applications safe. Here are some best practices we can follow:

  1. Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):
    • We should use RBAC to decide who can access what in our cluster.
    • Let’s create roles and role bindings to manage permissions in namespaces and at the cluster level.
    apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
kind: Role
metadata:
  namespace: my-namespace
  name: my-role
rules:
- apiGroups: [""] 
  resources: ["pods"]
  verbs: ["get", "watch", "list"]
  2. Network Policies:
    • We can use Kubernetes Network Policies to limit traffic between pods. This helps reduce risks and keeps our application organized.
    apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: allow-specific
  namespace: my-namespace
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      role: frontend
  ingress:
  - from:
    - podSelector:
        matchLabels:
          role: backend
  3. Pod Security Standards:
    • We can use Pod Security Standards (PSS) to make sure we have security rules for pod specifications.
    • Tools like OPA/Gatekeeper can help us enforce these policies.
  4. Limit Privileges:
    • We should run containers with the least privileges. Avoid privileged: true in pod specs.
    • We can use runAsUser and runAsGroup to set user and group IDs.
    securityContext:
  runAsUser: 1000
  runAsGroup: 3000
  capabilities:
    drop:
      - ALL
  5. Image Security:
    • Let’s scan container images for problems before we deploy. We can use tools like Trivy, Clair, or Aqua Security.
    • We should only use trusted base images and keep them updated.
  6. Secrets Management:
    • We can use Kubernetes Secrets to keep sensitive info like passwords and API keys safe.
    • It is better to avoid hardcoding secrets in our application code or config files.
    apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: my-secret
type: Opaque
data:
  password: cGFzc3dvcmQ= # Base64 encoded
  7. Enable Audit Logging:
    • We should turn on Kubernetes audit logging. This helps us track all API requests and find unauthorized access.
  8. Use TLS for Communication:
    • It is important that all communication in our cluster and outside is secure with TLS. We can use tools like cert-manager to manage certificates.
  9. Regular Updates:
    • We need to keep our Kubernetes version and its parts updated. This helps us get security fixes and improvements.
  10. Limit Resource Requests and Limits:
    • We should set resource requests and limits for CPU and memory. This helps prevent attacks that try to use up all resources.
    resources:
  requests:
    memory: "64Mi"
    cpu: "250m"
  limits:
    memory: "128Mi"
    cpu: "500m"

By following these best practices, we can make our on-premises Kubernetes deployment much safer. If we want to learn more about securing Kubernetes, we can check Kubernetes Security Best Practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we deploy Kubernetes on-premises?

We can deploy Kubernetes on-premises by following a few steps. First, we need to prepare our environment. Next, we install a Kubernetes distribution. After that, we set up the necessary parts like networking and storage. We can use tools like kubeadm to make the installation easier. For more help on deployment and what we need, we can read our article on How Do We Deploy Kubernetes On-Premises?.

What are the hardware requirements for deploying Kubernetes on-premises?

To deploy Kubernetes on-premises, we need enough hardware. Normally, we recommend at least 2 CPUs, 4 GB of RAM, and 20 GB of disk space for each node. But these needs can change depending on what we want to run. For a better look at hardware specs, we can check What Are the Key Components of a Kubernetes Cluster?.

Which installation methods are available for Kubernetes on-premises?

There are different ways to install Kubernetes on-premises. We can use kubeadm, Kops, or a managed Kubernetes service. kubeadm is a good option because it is simple and flexible. For a full view of these methods, we can see our guide on How Do We Deploy Kubernetes On-Premises?.

How do we manage our on-premises Kubernetes cluster?

Managing our on-premises Kubernetes cluster means we need to watch performance, scale applications, and keep everything secure. We can use tools like Prometheus to monitor and Helm for package management. To learn more about good management practices, we can look at How Do We Monitor Our Kubernetes Cluster?.

What are the best practices for securing our on-premises Kubernetes deployment?

Securing our on-premises Kubernetes deployment is very important. We should use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), apply network policies, and keep our Kubernetes version up to date. For detailed security tips, we can read the article on What Are Kubernetes Security Best Practices?.

These FAQs help us with common questions about deploying Kubernetes on-premises. We can find more information for a good setup in our complete guide on How Do We Deploy Kubernetes On-Premises?.