The Gateway API is a modern replacement for Kubernetes Ingress, designed to overcome limitations such as reliance on annotations, inconsistent behavior across controllers, and lack of advanced routing features. Introduced at KubeCon 2019, it provides a more expressive, extensible, and role-oriented approach to traffic management with components like GatewayClass, Gateway, and various Routes including support for cross-namespace routing. Version 1.2.1 brings features such as advanced request matching, traffic splitting, retries, timeouts, WebSocket support, TLS passthrough, and support for service mesh scenarios via GAMMA. Widely adopted and supported by major platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and Kong, the Gateway API establishes a flexible, production-ready foundation for consistent and powerful traffic control in Kubernetes environments. more ...

Running databases on Kubernetes introduces several challenges and risks due to the platform’s lack of native support for stateful workloads. Key issues include potential data loss from CSI crashes during storage attachment and detachment, immature database operators that may mishandle failovers or upgrades, and risks of data corruption during pod evictions, node failures, or network issues. Additionally, replica lag caused by network congestion can compromise database consistency. While Kubernetes was designed for stateless workloads, efforts have been made to support stateful applications, but databases require specialized handling that Kubernetes cannot fully provide. The need for DBAs to become Kubernetes experts further complicates operations. These factors suggest that a new platform, specifically tailored for stateful workloads like databases, could offer better reliability, security, and ease of management by integrating optimized features for storage, replication, and failovers. more ...

Kubernetes, while highly effective for cloud environments, requires significant enhancements to fully support edge computing in IoT and industrial applications. The key missing elements include optimizations for real-time processing and low-latency workloads, as many edge applications require immediate, localized data handling. Additionally, Kubernetes needs a more lightweight architecture for resource-constrained devices, better data management for local storage, and improved network resilience to allow edge nodes to operate independently during connectivity issues. Advanced scheduling mechanisms that consider proximity, latency, and energy efficiency are also necessary, alongside enhanced security models to address the unique vulnerabilities of edge environments. Addressing these gaps is essential to making Kubernetes a robust platform for decentralized and real-time edge operations. more ...

Modernizing your Monolith with Kubernetes explores the current buzz around microservices architecture and the drive many face towards migration. While microservices are often celebrated as the industry standard, this session addresses a critical question: should you actually make the switch from a monolithic architecture? We will discuss when it makes sense to stick with a monolith, how Kubernetes can support either architecture, and what the migration process to microservices looks like. This talk is ideal for those weighing the benefits of microservices against the robust simplicity of monolithic systems, providing insights into how Kubernetes can facilitate this. more ...