Kubernetes vs.

Docker
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes

, being industrialized by Google, is an open-source container management software. In general,

Kubernetes is used to manage, scale, and automate the deployment of containerized applications.

Containerized Applications can be understood as a process of enclosing an application

by combining all of its files, libraries, and packages that are needed while running it on
distinct platforms.

Kubernetes have become the best replacement for manual interaction. In the earlier
times when we used to update all such containerized applications manually, we were
required to conduct a regular cycle of processes: discontinuation of the older version,
starting the new one, or rolling back to the previous one in case of error. Kubernetes
have now overcome all such issues.
Features of Kubernetes
Kubernetes has the following features:

o Portable and open-source: Kubernetes is highly compatible crossways different

Since it is open-source software, it provides greater flexibility.
o Workload scalability: Kubernetes is renowned for its systematic behavior. It can
automatically add or remove new servers when required. In fact, it can manually
scale as many containers as it can by simply changing the number of running
containers.
o High availability: Kubernetes can easily cope up with the availability of both
containers and infrastructure. Having said that, Kubernetes possesses reliability,
which results in making it more accessible in any physical environment.
o Storage orchestration: Kubernetes is well known for its ability to organize
storage systems such as local storage and public cloud providers.
o Self-healing: In case if the container fails to respond, the Kubernetes first try to
restart it, and if they still don't reply on time, it either replaces the container or
kills that container.
o Automated roll-outs and rollbacks: In general, Kubernetes defines the
container's preferred state so as to transform the existing state into the preferred
state at a controlled rate.

Advantages of Kubernetes
Following are the advantages of Kubernetes:

o Great for multi-cloud adoption

In order to select the host as per the desired requirement, the microservice architecture
lets you efficiently fragment your application into smaller components encompassing
containers that can be run on different cloud environments.
Since Kubernetes is one of the best orchestration tools, you can easily use it anywhere. It
can be deployed on any of the public/private/hybrid clouds, whereby you can actually
reach out to the users placed at a distant location with greater availability and security.
Also, it comes with "vendor lock-in" that facilitates avoiding potential hazards.
o Deploy and update applications at scale for faster time-to-market
With the growth of modern software development, Kubernetes keeps pace with its
regular demands because, otherwise, large teams will be forced to manually script their
own deployment workflows.
o Better management of your applications
Containers help in the breakdown of applications into smaller components so that they
can be easily managed via Kubernetes, an orchestration tool. It helps in managing
codebases and testing specific inputs and outputs.

Disadvantages of Kubernetes
Currently, Kubernetes is one of the best orchestration tools out there in the market. But
everything is not perfect; it does have some demerits. So, the following are the
disadvantages of the Kubernetes:

o Steep learning curve

o Quite difficult to migrate to stateless
o Offers limited functionality in comparison to Docker API
o Manual installation and configuration requires a lot of effort
o Absence of High Availability piece
o Not compatible with existing Docker CLI and Compose tools
o K8s talent is quite expensive

What is Docker?
Docker

is an OS-level virtualization software platform whereby the developers and IT administrators can
create, deploy and run applications in a Docker Container with all their dependencies. Docker
Container is a lightweight software package that includes all the dependencies (frameworks,
libraries, etc.) required to execute an application.

Docker is an open-source containerization platform that helps mechanize the

deployment of an application as a lightweight container, which assists in the efficient
working of an application in different environments.

It is mainly contemplated as a solution that manages the isolated containers. Instead of

creating resource-intensive virtual machines, Docker can efficiently put the software
code in the containers so that it can be easily utilized in other systems. There are two
ways to manage the software; either via a hybrid Cloud or by using the existing physical
hardware resources.

In simple language, Docker Containers can be understood as virtualized abstract

objects, which helps in connecting the code into dependencies (e.g., frameworks, config
files, libraries, etc.). In general, Docker is used for building and deploying lightweight
applications that are further installed on a single machine's (server or powerful
computer) package. In comparison to traditional virtual machines, which are often called
hypervisors, the containers improve performance by saving memory and consuming
minimalist resources.

The applications created based on such containers employ hardware capabilities

(including CPU, I/O devices, network devices, etc.) and do not require guest OSs. They
mainly use the OS core of the hardware.
ADVANTAGES OF DOCKER CONTAINERS
Let's take a look at the main pros of Docker Containers:

o Fast deployment of new services with limited memory and performance resources:
Since the Docker Containers are a lightweight alternate to hypervisors, they do not
necessitate OS resources and the OS image's full load. The image can be launched from
a private- or public-access Cloud, ensuring an instant launch of the software as long as
minimum RAM stress load is available. Container not only offers high-speed
computation but also necessitates less time to react to user requests.
o Accelerated software development and deployment: The significant use of Docker
Containers can actually lower the consumption of resources that are required for the
creation and deployment of new software. Besides, it also alleviates the developer's
burden of updating the prevailing network hardware (e.g., a more powerful server).
o A simple approach to app functionality scaling: In case you are looking to update the
prevailing software, the Docker Container will ease your pain as it is mainly designed for
migration purposes (i.e., you don't have to change a single line of code while scaling
horizontally).
o High accessibility: Migration to Cloud allows the quick and easy transfer of an app to a
new environment for further scaling or making the app business logic more complex. We
can easily transfer the Docker Containers to any non-Cloud infrastructure. It also helps in
evading the conflicts that have arisen in an OS with the installed software on the
hardware level.
o Decreased chances of conflicts: The third-party applications, as well as their
requirements, change in no time. If you are planning to integrate your Docker
Containers-based software, you won't have any compatibility problems. This software
solution has open-source code at its core, so it can be launched either on Linux and
Windows OS, in the Cloud on virtual machines, etc.
o Decreased downtimes: The process of separating one Docker Container from the other
containers is known as isolation. This allows for consistent performance and decreases
downtime risks.

DISADVANTAGES OF DOCKER CONTAINERS

Among the most serious issues that might appear during the employment of the
technology, developers point to the target software's vulnerability. For example, if you
want to offer access to containers through web servers by utilizing an API, you will be
required to thoroughly think through the parameter verification process. In general, you
have to take care (e.g., with UNIX checking permissions) that no transformed data is
passed in consort with a request by the hackers, which may provoke the generation of
new containers.

Perhaps each orchestration tool carries a similar purpose, but there exist some fundamental
differences like how the two operate. Following are some of the most important points that will
help in differentiating Kubernetes from Dockers:

o Application definition
In Kubernetes, we can deploy applications by utilizing a group of pods, deployments, and
services (or micro-services).

However, in the case of Docker Swarm, we can deploy applications as services (or micro-
services) within a Swarm cluster. In order to specify a multi-container, we can use the YAML
files, and for deploying the applications, we can use the Docker Compose.

o Installation and set-up

Kubernetes can be manually installed as it requires serious planning for keeping it up and
running. Installation instructions may vary from OS-to-OS provider to provider. In Kubernetes, it
is necessary to know the cluster configuration, like the IP addresses of a node or what role is
taken by which node in advance.

However, the installation process of Docker Swarm is quite simple in contrast to Kubernetes. It
only requires one set of tools to learn to build upon environment and configuration. Docker
Swarm is more flexible as it permits new nodes to join a pre-existing cluster both as a manager
or a worker.

o Working on two systems

In order to run Kubernetes on top of Docker, it is necessary to have prior knowledge about CLI
(Command Line Interface). One must have hands-on Docker CLI to navigate inside a structure
and supplemental Kubernetes common language infrastructure to run such programs.

Since Docker Swarm is itself a Docker tool, the same language is utilized to navigate
within a structure. It provides variability as well as speeds up to the tool by offering a
significant usability edge.

o Logging and monitoring

Kubernetes extends its supports to multiple versions of logging and monitoring as when
the services get deployed within the cluster:

o Elasticsearch/Kibana (ELK) logs within the container

o Heapster/Grafana/ Influx for monitoring in the container
o Sysdig cloud integration

Whereas Docker Swarm can only support monitoring with third-party applications. In
order to monitor using the Docker Swarm, it is highly suggested to use it with Reimann,
and since Docker is an open API, it can be easily utilized to connect with several apps.
o Scalability

For distributed system, Kubernetes can be defined as an all-in-one framework. Since it

offers a unified set of APIs, it is considered to be one of the complex systems which slow
down the deployment and scaling of a container.

In contrast to Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, the deployment rate of containers are much
faster, which results in quick scaling as per the demand.

o High availability

In order to provide high availability at the time of application failure, Kubernetes

distributes all of its pods among nodes. In Kubernetes, load-balancing services can
easily perceive unnatural pods and eradicate them, so it can be concluded that it
supports high availability.

Docker Swarm also provides high availability as it can replicate the services in Swarm
nodes. In Docker Swarm, Swarm manager nodes play a crucial role as they are the one
who is responsible for the whole cluster and also it manages the resources of worker
nodes.

o Networking

Since every individual pod can communicate with each other, so we can conclude that
the Kubernetes network is flat as it also necessitates two CIDRs such that the first one
requires pods to get an IP address and the other is for services.

In a Docker Swarm, a node connecting a cluster forms a network connection that spans
all of the Swarm hosts and a host-only Docker bridge network for containers. In Docker
Swarm, users can encrypt container data traffic when creating an overlay network on
their own.