Building a Nodeless Kubernetes Platform

Building a fully managed Kubernetes platform should still prioritize the power and flexibility of Kubernetes, while simplifying the operation of the cluster.

• A fully managed Kubernetes platform should still prioritize the power and flexibility of Kubernetes
• Simplifying the operation of the cluster should be the goal, not simplicity at the Kubernetes layer
• The platform should allow for bursting and support continued usage
• Node visibility should be maintained while hiding certain bits

When considering how to run pods on a fully managed product, the team looked at using Borg or reusing more of GKE. However, the goal was to simplify the operation of the cluster, not the Kubernetes layer itself. The power and flexibility of Kubernetes is what makes it successful, and simplifying it would miss the point of why people choose Kubernetes. Instead, the team aimed to create a platform that allows for bursting and supports continued usage, while maintaining node visibility.

Can Kubernetes be nodeless, and is nodeless Kubernetes still really Kubernetes? That is the question the Google Kubernetes Engine team asked themselves before embarking on a project to create a new operating mode for their 6-year-old Kubernetes platform, GKE. Go behind the scenes of the creation of GKE Autopilot, a fully managed "nodeless" Kubernetes platform, and hear from one of the creators how it was built, and why various decision decisions were made. Topics covered will include the trade off between operational support, security and Kubernetes compatibility, and why it actually makes sense for nodes to retain their semantic meaning on a nodeless Kubernetes platform. The community has seen several approaches for offering serverless/nodeless Kubernetes to operators, including with technology like Virtual Kubelet. This presentation will break new ground, providing an alternative path to achieving the goals of serverless Kubernetes without removing node-level APIs like affinity.Click here to view captioning/translation in the MeetingPlay platform!