Kubernetes on Windows - A Journey - Jerry Lozano, RX

Building a mixed Kubernetes cluster with Windows worker nodes presents challenges in terms of networking options and operating system compatibility. However, the benefits of running a mixed cluster include the ability to leverage existing code and choose the most suitable execution environment for new applications.

• Containers rely on the most suitable OS for the microservice at hand, allowing for side-by-side hosting of services built upon different OS bases
• Windows worker nodes are necessary to host Windows containers, presenting challenges in networking and orchestration
• A mixed Kubernetes cluster allows for the use of existing code and the freedom to choose the most suitable execution environment for new applications

The speaker describes setting up a representative mixed cluster with an Ubuntu server running the Kubernetes control plane, a Windows worker node hosting a credit card authorization microservice, and a Linux worker node hosting an Nginx web page. Along the journey, they encountered challenges with setting up the Windows server and ensuring valid licensing.

Kubernetes is almost always used in a Linux environment. Tutorials and examples, regardless of hardware platform, always run some distribution of Linux. Yet since 1.14, Kubernetes worker nodes are actively supported on Windows. This session describes one developer’s journey of designing, developing, installing, and deploying Kubernetes on modern Windows Server. The need for microservice implementations on Windows is just as valid as it is on Linux. Windows Server is hosted on at least 3-times the number of servers in use in the world and market share is still increasing (Statista). Most of these servers run enterprise applications that must meet the requirements for scalability, availability, and maintainability that any modern application faces. This session describes the benefits of hosting Kubernetes nodes on Windows Server, similarities and differences from execution on Linux, and lessons learned when implementing a microservice application with the Windows infrastructure.