Guest post originally published on D2IQ’s blog by Alex Hisaka
If your organization is adopting multiple Kubernetes clusters, chances are that multiple users or groups have access to these clusters on the same shared infrastructure. Kubernetes multi-tenancy aims to drive efficient use of infrastructure, while providing operators with robust isolation mechanisms between users, workloads, or teams. Running more applications on the same shared infrastructure means better utilization of resources and a reduction in overall operating costs.
While Kubernetes multi-tenancy meets many organizational needs, it comes with some tradeoffs. As teams expand their usage of Kubernetes, clusters will exist in different pockets each with differing policies, roles, and configurations in their usage. This variety makes it incredibly challenging to create standardization across identities and access to clusters. When there’s a lack of governance and access control, operators are unable to identify users, govern the usage of resources, and perform compliance checks. And this problem only grows in complexity as more users and groups on-board, off-board, change teams, and projects and clusters multiply.
In our latest guide, “An Introduction to Kubernetes Multi-Tenancy,” we walk through the benefits of multi-tenancy in Kubernetes, as well as the common challenges and how to address them. We’ll also provide guidelines and best practices for implementing a successful multi-tenant strategy to maximize efficiency and effectiveness, while minimizing risk.
This guide will examine the use of Kubernetes multi-tenancy, including:
- Why and when your organization should consider using a multi-tenant Kubernetes architecture
- Issues and challenges that multi-tenancy can raise, including “noisy neighbors” and “nosy neighbors”
- Multi-tenant resource management and the use of quotas
- Soft and hard multi-tenancy: what they mean and how and when to use them
- Additional considerations for service providers
- When and how to use a multi-cluster strategy
Whether you’re new to Kubernetes and looking for an enterprise solution or your organization has prolific adoption of Kubernetes in many clusters, a multi-tenancy strategy can offer significant benefits in the right circumstances. Download the practitioner guide to learn how you can capitalize on a multi-tenancy strategy and deliver strong isolation that fits the needs of the business.