Deploying Front-End with Kubernetes

1. Introduction

Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate deploying, scaling, and operating application containers. This lesson focuses on how to deploy a front-end application using Kubernetes, covering the essential concepts, tools, and processes involved.

2. Prerequisites

Before deploying your front-end application with Kubernetes, ensure you have the following:

1. Basic knowledge of Docker and Kubernetes.
2. A Kubernetes cluster (can use Minikube or a cloud provider).
3. kubectl command-line tool installed.
4. Docker installed on your local machine.
5. Your front-end application codebase ready for deployment.

3. Kubernetes Architecture

Kubernetes architecture consists of several key components:

• Master Node: Controls the Kubernetes cluster.
• Worker Nodes: Run the application containers.
• Pod: The smallest deployable unit in Kubernetes.
• Service: Exposes a set of Pods as a network service.

                graph TD;
                A[Code Commit] --> B[Build Docker Image];
                B --> C[Push to Docker Registry];
                C --> D[Deploy to Kubernetes Cluster];
                D --> E[Service Exposed];
            

4. Deployment Steps

Follow these steps to deploy your front-end application:

1. Dockerize Your Application: Create a Dockerfile in your front-end project directory.

Example Dockerfile:

FROM node:14 AS build
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
FROM nginx:alpine
COPY --from=build /app/build /usr/share/nginx/html
EXPOSE 80
CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]
                

2. Build the Docker Image:

   docker build -t your-username/your-app-name:latest .

3. Push the Image to Docker Hub:

   docker push your-username/your-app-name:latest

4. Create Kubernetes Deployment: Use the following YAML file to define your deployment.

   
   apiVersion: apps/v1
   kind: Deployment
   metadata:
     name: your-app-name
   spec:
     replicas: 3
     selector:
       matchLabels:
         app: your-app
     template:
       metadata:
         labels:
           app: your-app
       spec:
         containers:
         - name: your-app
           image: your-username/your-app-name:latest
           ports:
           - containerPort: 80
                   

5. Apply the Deployment:

   kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml

6. Create a Service: Expose your deployment using a service.

   
   apiVersion: v1
   kind: Service
   metadata:
     name: your-app-service
   spec:
     type: LoadBalancer
     ports:
     - port: 80
       targetPort: 80
     selector:
       app: your-app
                   

7. Access Your Application: Get the external IP of your service.

   kubectl get services

5. Best Practices

Follow these best practices for a successful deployment:

• Use multi-stage builds in Docker to reduce image size.
• Implement health checks to ensure your application is running smoothly.
• Utilize resource limits to prevent excessive resource usage.
• Keep your images up to date and regularly scan for vulnerabilities.

6. FAQ