Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It groups containers into logical units called pods, facilitating efficient management and discovery. Originating from Google's internal system, Borg, Kubernetes combines over 15 years of experience in running production workloads with best practices from the community. Its flexibility allows it to operate seamlessly across various environments, including on-premises, hybrid, and public cloud infrastructures. Key Features and Functionality: - Service Discovery and Load Balancing: Kubernetes can expose containers using DNS names or IP addresses and balances network traffic to ensure stable deployments. - Storage Orchestration: It supports automatic mounting of storage systems, accommodating local storage and public cloud providers. - Automated Rollouts and Rollbacks: Kubernetes enables controlled deployment of application changes, ensuring the system's desired state is maintained. - Self-Healing: The platform monitors container health, restarting or replacing containers that fail, and only advertises services when they are ready. - Horizontal Scaling: Applications can be scaled up or down based on demand through simple commands, user interfaces, or automatically based on CPU usage. - Secret and Configuration Management: Kubernetes allows secure storage and management of sensitive information, such as passwords and SSH keys, without exposing them in application code. Primary Value and User Solutions: Kubernetes addresses the complexities of managing containerized applications by providing a robust framework for automation and scalability. It ensures high availability and reliability through self-healing mechanisms and efficient resource utilization. By abstracting the underlying infrastructure, Kubernetes enables developers to focus on application development without worrying about deployment intricacies. Its extensibility and portability allow organizations to run applications consistently across diverse environments, reducing the risk of vendor lock-in and facilitating a seamless cloud-native journey.