Learning Kubernetes can be a challenge, but it is also worth investing time and effort as it plays a crucial role in modern software development and operations. Here is a structured learning path to help you learn Kubernetes from scratch until you master its core concepts and practical skills.
1.1 Understanding Container Technology
Docker: Learning Docker is the first step on the Kubernetes learning journey. Understand how to create and manage containers, familiar with the use of Dockerfiles and Docker Compose.
Basic concepts of containers: Understand the difference between containers and virtual machines, and gain knowledge about container lifecycle management, networking, and storage.
1.2 Fundamentals of Distributed Systems
Distributed System Concept: Understand the common patterns and challenges of distributed systems, such as service discovery, load balancing, consistency, and other issues.
NoSQL databases: Understanding the basic concepts and application scenarios of key value stores such as Redis.
1.3 Network Fundamentals
Network layer: Familiar with the concepts of L4 (transport layer) and L7 (application layer) in the OSI model, and familiar with the TCP/IP protocol.
Service discovery: Understand the basic principles of client and server service discovery.
Network Security: Understand SSL/TLS encryption and authentication mechanisms.
1.4 API and Configuration Management
RESTful API: Understand the design principles and usage scenarios of RESTful API.
GRPC API: Understand the basic concepts and advantages of gRPC.
YAML: Familiar with YAML syntax, as Kubernetes configuration files mainly use YAML format.
2.1 Overview of Kubernetes
Introduction to Kubernetes: Understand the background, design philosophy, and main features of Kubernetes.
Kubernetes Architecture: Learn the architecture of Kubernetes, including the main components of the control plane and worker nodes.
2.2 Core Concepts
Pods: Understand the concept of Pods, including single container Pods and multi container Pods.
Deployment: Learn how to use Deployment to manage replicas and rolling updates of applications.
Services: Understand the concept of Services, including ClusterIP, NodePort, and Loadbalancer types.
Namespaces: Understanding the role of namespaces and how to isolate resources.
Volumes: Learn how to manage persistent storage for different types of volumes.
3.1 Installing and Configuring Kubernetes
Minikube: Use Minikube to quickly build a single node Kubernetes cluster locally.
KubeADM: Learn how to use KubeADM to build a multi node Kubernetes cluster.
Hosted Kubernetes Services: Learn how to use hosted Kubernetes services such as GKE, EKS, and AKS on cloud platforms.
3.2 Basic Operations
FHIR command: Familiarize yourself with the FHIR command-line tool and learn how to create, view, and manage Kubernetes resources.
Configuration files: Write and manage Kubernetes configuration files (YAML files).
Debugging and Logging: Learn how to view Pod and node logs, debug common issues.
4.1 Advanced Concepts
StatefulSets: Understand the concept of StatefulSets and how to manage applications with states.
DaemonSets: Learn the purpose of DaemonSets and how to run a Pod on each node.
Jobs and CronJobs: Understanding the concepts of Jobs and CronJobs, and how to manage batch processing tasks.
Helm: Learn Helm package manager and how to manage and deploy complex applications.
4.2 Network and Storage
Network plugins: Understand commonly used network plugins (such as Calico, Flannel, Weave) and their configuration methods.
Storage class: Learn how to dynamically configure storage for different types of storage classes.
5.1 Security
RBAC: Understand role-based access control (RBAC) mechanisms and how to manage permissions.
Security Context: Learn the security context configuration for Pods and containers.
5.2 Monitoring and Logging
Prometheus: Understand the monitoring principles of Prometheus and how to integrate it into Kubernetes clusters.
ELK Stack: Learn log management solutions for ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana).
5.3 Automation and CI/CD
CI/CD Integration: Learn how to integrate Kubernetes into Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) processes.
GitOps: Learn the concepts of GitOps and how to use tools such as Flux and Argo CD to manage Kubernetes clusters.
6.1 Official Documents
Kubernetes official documentation: Detailed and comprehensive, it is the preferred resource for learning Kubernetes.
Kubernetes Chinese documentation: Suitable for Chinese readers, with rich content.
6.2 Online courses and tutorials
Katacoda: Provides interactive Kubernetes tutorials that can be operated directly in a browser.
Udemy, Coursera: Provides multiple online courses related to Kubernetes.
6.3 Community and Forum
Kubernetes Slack: Join the Kubernetes community and communicate with other learners.
Stack Overflow: Find and answer Kubernetes related questions.
7.1 Small Projects
Deploy a simple web application: Use Kubernetes to deploy a simple web application and practice configuration file writing and resource management.
Implement horizontal auto scaling: Configure HPA (Horizontal Pod Autocaler) for an application and observe its auto scaling effect.
7.2 Large scale projects
Build a complete CI/CD pipeline: Use tools such as Jenkins and GitHub Actions to build a complete CI/CD pipeline and integrate it with a Kubernetes cluster.
Deploy a stateful application: Use StatefulSets to deploy a stateful application, such as a database cluster.
8.1 CKAD（Certified Kubernetes Application Developer）
CKAD certification: By obtaining CKAD certification, you demonstrate your ability to develop and manage Kubernetes applications.
8.2 CKA（Certified Kubernetes Administrator）
CKA certification: By obtaining CKA certification, you demonstrate your ability to manage and operate Kubernetes clusters.
Through the above steps, you can systematically learn and master the core concepts and practical skills of Kubernetes. Kubernetes is a constantly evolving platform, so it is important to keep learning and practicing. I hope this learning path can help you smoothly embark on your journey of learning Kubernetes. Wishing you a pleasant learning experience!