Kubernetes Cluster Setup with kind

kind (Kubernetes IN Docker) is a tool for running Kubernetes clusters locally using Docker containers. It is ideal for testing and development environments.

Step 3: Create a Kubernetes Cluster with kind

1. Create a Kubernetes Cluster: To create a default Kubernetes cluster with a single node using kind, run the following command:

   kind create cluster

   This command sets up a Kubernetes cluster running within Docker containers.

2. Create a Cluster with a Specific Name: If you want to create a cluster with a custom name, use the --name flag:

   kind create cluster --name <cluster-name>

Step 4: Verify the Cluster

1. Install kubectl (if not already installed): To interact with the Kubernetes cluster, you need to have kubectl installed. If you haven't installed it yet, use the following command:

   sudo snap install kubectl --classic

2. Verify the Cluster is Running: After creating the cluster, verify that the cluster is running and accessible:

   kubectl cluster-info --context kind-kind

Basic kind Commands

1. Create a Cluster:

   • To create the default cluster:

     kind create cluster
   • To create a cluster with a custom name:

     kind create cluster --name <cluster-name>

2. Delete a Cluster:

   • To delete the default cluster:

     kind delete cluster
   • To delete a specific cluster by name:

     kind delete cluster --name <cluster-name>

3. List Clusters: To list all running kind clusters:

   kind get clusters

4. Interact with a Specific Cluster: If you have multiple kind clusters, you can interact with a specific cluster by setting the appropriate context in kubectl:

   kubectl cluster-info --context kind-<cluster-name>

Creating a Multi-Node Cluster

To create a multi-node cluster (with multiple control plane or worker nodes), you need to define a custom configuration file.

Example YAML for a Multi-Node Cluster:

# multi-node-config.yaml
kind: Cluster
apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
nodes:
  - role: control-plane
  - role: worker
  - role: worker

Alternatively, you can specify the Kubernetes node images you want to use:

# kind create cluster --config kind-cluster-1M-3W-v1.30.yaml --name  chat-prod
kind: Cluster
apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
nodes:
  - role: control-plane
    image: kindest/node:v1.30.4
  - role: worker
    image: kindest/node:v1.30.4
  - role: worker
    image: kindest/node:v1.30.4
  - role: worker
    image: kindest/node:v1.30.4

# multi-node-config.yaml
kind: Cluster
apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4
nodes:
  - role: control-plane
    image: kindest/node:v1.30.4@sha256:976ea815844d5fa93be213437e3ff5754cd599b040946b5cca43ca45c2047114
  - role: worker
    image: kindest/node:v1.29.4@sha256:d46b7aa29567e93b27f7531d258c372e829d7224b25e3fc6ffdefed12476d3aa
  - role: worker
    image: kindest/node:v1.30.4@sha256:d46b7aa29567e93b27f7531d258c372e829d7224b25e3fc6ffdefed12476d3aa

Create the Multi-Node Cluster:

Use the above YAML configuration to create a multi-node cluster:

kind create cluster --config multi-node-config.yaml --name <cluster-name>

Creating a Multi-Cluster Setup

With kind, you can set up multiple clusters on your local system, each with its own separate context.

1. Create Multiple Clusters: To create multiple clusters, assign unique names to each cluster:

   kind create cluster --name cluster1
   kind create cluster --name cluster2

2. Switch Between Clusters: You can switch between clusters by using the appropriate context with kubectl:

   kubectl cluster-info --context kind-cluster1
   kubectl cluster-info --context kind-cluster2

3. Delete Specific Clusters: To delete an individual cluster, specify the name of the cluster:

   kind delete cluster --name cluster1
   kind delete cluster --name cluster2

4. BONUS: Advance Cluster Mgmt cmds:

   kind get clusters
   kind delete cluster --name <cluster-name>
   kind delete clusters --all

   Advance Public Access of kind-k8 object cmds:

   kubectl port-forward pod/nginx-<pod-id> 8080:80 --address 0.0.0.0
   curl http://<ec2-public-ip>:8080

This document provides the steps and commands to set up, manage, and delete Kubernetes clusters using kind, whether it's a single-node, multi-node, or multi-cluster setup.