Kubeless is a Kubernetes-native, serverless framework that empowers developers to deploy small bits of code (functions) without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. It leverages the increasing popularity of Kubernetes and the growing demand for serverless applications to provide a powerful platform for building next-generation, containerized applications.
Containerization and orchestration are two key concepts in the world of modern software development. Containerization refers to the process of encapsulating or packaging up software code and all its dependencies so that it can run uniformly and consistently on any infrastructure. Orchestration, on the other hand, involves automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
Definition of Kubeless
Kubeless is a serverless framework built on top of Kubernetes. It takes advantage of Kubernetes' resources and primitives to provide auto-scaling, API routing, monitoring, troubleshooting and more. Kubeless stands out from other serverless frameworks because it runs on top of your Kubernetes cluster, leveraging existing resources and infrastructure.
It is designed to be a Kubernetes-native serverless framework, and it allows you to deploy functions as you would any other Kubernetes object. This means you can use standard Kubernetes tools and APIs to manage your functions, and you can take advantage of all the features of the Kubernetes platform, such as scaling, rolling updates, and service discovery.
Containerization in Kubeless
In Kubeless, containerization is handled by Kubernetes. When you deploy a function, Kubeless packages it into a container and deploys it on your Kubernetes cluster. This container includes not only your function, but also any dependencies it has, and the runtime environment it needs to run.
This means that your function is completely isolated from other functions, and it can run consistently no matter where your Kubernetes cluster is running. This is the essence of containerization: creating self-contained units of software that can run anywhere.
Orchestration in Kubeless
Orchestration in Kubeless is also handled by Kubernetes. Once your function is deployed, Kubernetes takes care of scheduling it to run on one of the nodes in your cluster. If your function needs to scale up to handle more traffic, Kubernetes can automatically start more instances of your function and load balance traffic between them.
Furthermore, if a node fails, Kubernetes can automatically reschedule your functions to run on a different node. This automatic management of your functions is what we mean by orchestration: the automated configuration, coordination, and management of computer systems and software.
History of Kubeless
Kubeless was created by Bitnami, a company known for providing open source solutions ready to run in production environments. The first public release of Kubeless came in December 2016. The idea was to create a Kubernetes-native serverless solution that would allow developers to focus on writing code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
Since then, Kubeless has grown in popularity and has been adopted by many organizations looking for a simple, Kubernetes-native serverless solution. It has also seen a number of updates and improvements, including support for more programming languages and improved integration with other Kubernetes tools.
Evolution of Kubeless
Over the years, Kubeless has evolved to support more programming languages, including Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, and .NET. This means that developers can write functions in the language they are most comfortable with, and Kubeless will take care of running them on Kubernetes.
Another major evolution in Kubeless has been its integration with other Kubernetes tools. For example, Kubeless now integrates with Istio, a popular service mesh for Kubernetes, to provide advanced routing and monitoring capabilities. Kubeless also integrates with Prometheus, a Kubernetes-native monitoring solution, to provide detailed metrics about your functions.
Use Cases of Kubeless
Kubeless is used in a variety of scenarios, thanks to its flexibility and the power of Kubernetes. Some common use cases include event-driven applications, data processing, and microservices.
In event-driven applications, functions in Kubeless can be triggered by events from a variety of sources. This makes Kubeless a good fit for applications that need to respond quickly to changes in their environment. For example, a function could be triggered whenever a new file is uploaded to a cloud storage bucket, processing the file and updating a database with its contents.
Data Processing
Kubeless is also often used for data processing tasks. Functions can be triggered by events like a new message in a message queue or a change in a database. The function can then process the data and store the results. This makes Kubeless a good fit for tasks like data transformation, aggregation, and analysis.
For example, a function could be triggered whenever a new sales record is added to a database. The function could then calculate the total sales for the day and update a dashboard with the new total. This kind of real-time data processing is a common use case for serverless architectures like Kubeless.
Microservices
Finally, Kubeless is often used to implement microservices. In a microservices architecture, an application is broken down into a collection of small, independent services. Each service is responsible for a specific piece of functionality, and services communicate with each other over a network.
With Kubeless, each microservice can be implemented as a function. This makes it easy to scale and update each service independently. It also makes it easy to develop and deploy new services, as each service is a small, self-contained piece of code.
Examples of Kubeless
There are many examples of organizations using Kubeless in production. For example, Skyscanner, a popular travel search engine, uses Kubeless to handle event-driven workloads. They have written about how they use Kubeless to process events from their data platform, allowing them to react in real-time to changes in their data.
Another example is Bitnami, the creators of Kubeless. They use Kubeless in their own infrastructure to handle a variety of tasks, including data processing and event handling. They have written about how they use Kubeless to simplify their infrastructure and reduce operational overhead.
Skyscanner's Use Case
Skyscanner uses Kubeless to handle event-driven workloads in their data platform. When a new piece of data is available, an event is fired, triggering a Kubeless function. The function processes the data and stores the results, allowing Skyscanner to react in real-time to changes in their data.
This use case highlights the power of Kubeless for event-driven applications. By using Kubeless, Skyscanner is able to process data as soon as it is available, rather than having to wait for a batch processing job. This allows them to provide more up-to-date information to their users, improving the user experience.
Bitnami's Use Case
Bitnami, the creators of Kubeless, use Kubeless in their own infrastructure to handle a variety of tasks. For example, they use Kubeless to process events from their cloud platform, such as new user signups or changes in user data.
By using Kubeless, Bitnami is able to simplify their infrastructure and reduce operational overhead. They can write simple functions to handle these events, and Kubeless takes care of running them on Kubernetes, scaling them as needed, and providing monitoring and troubleshooting tools. This allows Bitnami to focus on developing their platform, rather than managing infrastructure.