Red Hat’s approach to Kubernetes over the last 6 years has been to turn it from a useful container tool into a foundational platform for hybrid cloud architectures. Learn what Kubernetes is and if it's right for you.
The Red Hat® Shares newsletter helps IT leaders navigate the complicated world of IT―the open source way.
FROM THE EDITOR
Kubernetes is effective―but alone, it’s not enough
Kubernetes turned 6 on June 6. But that's not the only reason to celebrate this technology: According to the 2019 Cloud Native Computing Foundation survey (PDF), respondents’ use of Kubernetes in production swelled from 58% to 78% in 1 year. This is likely because, in the same year, the respondents using containers in production increased from 73% to 84%―and Kubernetes is now considered the standard for container orchestration.
Let’s back up for a minute. If you’re wondering what Kubernetes is, you’re not alone. Our recent, totally unscientific Twitter poll indicates that most participants (58.9%) either don't know what it is or have merely heard of it. Kubernetes is an open source container orchestration platform that automates many of the manual processes involved in deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications.
What’s the main advantage of using Kubernetes in your environment? It gives you the platform to schedule and run containers on clusters of physical or virtual machines. But Kubernetes alone isn't enough (more on that later).
In this issue of Red Hat Shares, get our perspective on Kubernetes, get an introduction to Kubernetes architecture, take a free course on deploying containerized apps, and more.
Start with the basics in this article. 10-minute read

Red Hat’s approach to Kubernetes
While Kubernetes as a standalone open source project is an effective container management tool, using it by itself is not enough to succeed with hybrid cloud. 8-minute read
Introduction to Kubernetes architecture
Take a brief look at the design principles that underpin Kubernetes, then explore how its different components interact. 6-minute read
5 reasons to use Kubernetes
Kubernetes solves some of the most common problems development and operations teams struggle with. 2-minute read
Free training: Deploying Containerized Applications Technical Overview (DO080)
Get an introduction to Linux® containers and container orchestration technology using Docker, Kubernetes, and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform in this online video series.
New Kubernetes-related products
Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes
Red Hat OpenShift Kubernetes Engine
(You might also like the article “Red Hat OpenShift vs. Kubernetes.”)
BY THE NUMBERS
The State of Enterprise Open Source report 2020
We commissioned this survey of 950 IT leaders to better understand the unique role of enterprise open source. 1-minute read
95%
say open source is strategically important, up from 89% last year.
77%
agree enterprise open source will continue to grow.
86%
say the most innovative companies are using enterprise open source.
52%
cite security as a top use of enterprise open source, and 51% cite cloud management tools.
Did you miss our May issue recapping Red Hat Summit 2020 Virtual Experience? Check it out.
About the author
The Red Hat Shares team comprises content strategists who work with lots of smart subject matter experts. Together, we curate content on emerging tech topics your enterprise needs to learn about to stay competitive.
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