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Serverless on Kubernetes: A Comprehensive Guide

Certainly! Let’s dive into the world of serverless development on Kubernetes. 🚀

Serverless computing, also known as “event-driven compute” or “functions as a service (FaaS),” allows developers to focus on writing code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure management. While most cloud providers offer their own serverless platforms, you can also build your own using Kubernetes—the popular container orchestration system.

In this article, we’ll explore five major projects that bring serverless functionality to Kubernetes. These frameworks allow you to deploy small, individual functions that respond to various events. Let’s get started!

1. Fission

  • Overview: Fission is maintained by the managed-Kubernetes company Platform 9. It stands out because it lets you create FaaS applications without building containers. Instead, you supply definition files.
  • Installation: Fission can be installed with or without a Helm chart. There are two editions:
  • The full-blown version includes message queue support and InfluxDB for logging (ideal for production deployments).
  • The stripped-down edition offers basic function serving (great for getting started).
  • Development Workflow: To add code to a Fission deployment, use YAML-based spec files. These files define your functions, routes, environment variables, auxiliary containers, volumes, and Kubernetes taint/toleration controls.
  • Advantages: Fission provides flexibility and control over your serverless platform, allowing you to tailor it to your specific needs.

2. Kubeless

  • Overview: Kubeless is a Kubernetes-native serverless framework that simplifies deploying small code snippets. It abstracts away the underlying infrastructure plumbing.
  • Installation: Fission can be installed with or without a Helm chart. There are two editions:
  • Agile building: Quickly build executable functions from user-submitted source code.
  • Simplified deployment process.
  • Integration with existing K8s features.
  • Getting Started: Install Kubeless and start deploying your functions without worrying about infrastructure details.

3. OpenFaaS

  • Overview: Although not exclusive to Kubernetes, OpenWhisk is an open-source serverless platform that integrates well with it.
  • Supports multiple languages.
  • Event-driven execution.
  • Fine-grained billing.
  • Use Cases: OpenWhisk is suitable for both simple functions and complex workflows.

4. OpenWhisk

  • Overview: Although not exclusive to Kubernetes, OpenWhisk is an open-source serverless platform that integrates well with it.
  • Supports multiple languages.
  • Event-driven execution.
  • Fine-grained billing.
  • Use Cases: OpenWhisk is suitable for both simple functions and complex workflows.

5. Knative

  • Overview: Knative is an open-source project that extends Kubernetes to provide a set of building blocks for serverless workloads.
  • Serving: For deploying and managing serverless applications.
  • Eventing: For event-driven architectures.
  • Benefits: Knative simplifies serverless development by abstracting away low-level details.

Conclusion

Building serverless applications on Kubernetes gives you greater control over your platform while allowing developers to focus on writing essential code. Explore these frameworks, choose the one that aligns with your requirements, and start building serverless applications today! 🌟