Container Engine for Kubernetes
Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes (OKE) is a managed Kubernetes service for operating containerized applications at scale while reducing the time, cost, and operational burden of managing the complexities of Kubernetes infrastructure. Container Engine for Kubernetes enables you to deploy Kubernetes clusters instantly and ensure reliable operations with automatic updates, patching, scaling, and more.
You can configure Kubernetes clusters with two types of worker nodes:
- Managed nodes are Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Compute instances that you configure and manage as needed.
- Virtual nodes deliver a serverless Kubernetes experience, enabling you to ensure reliable operations at scale without the operational overhead of managing, scaling, upgrading, and troubleshooting the infrastructure of your clusters.
Watch the cloud native video (1:14)
Managed nodes are OCI Compute instances running in your tenancy, with a shared operational responsibility. You control the configuration of the nodes based on your requirements. Container Engine for Kubernetes provisions and updates the Kubernetes software on the managed nodes.
Virtual nodes deliver a complete serverless Kubernetes experience. With virtual nodes, you can ensure reliable operations of Kubernetes at scale, without having to manage any infrastructure. This node option provides granular pod-level elasticity with a per-pod pricing, while eliminating the operational overhead of managing, scaling, upgrading, and troubleshooting worker nodes' infrastructure.
Coming soon: Serverless Kubernetes with virtual nodes for Container Engine for Kubernetes
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Kubernetes Engine features
Operations
Serverless Kubernetes with virtual nodes
Virtual nodes provide a serverless Kubernetes experience to run containerized applications at scale without spending additional resources on managing, scaling, upgrading, and troubleshooting the infrastructure of your clusters.
Virtual nodes provide the abstraction of regular nodes to Kubernetes, delivering granular pod elasticity with per-pod pricing. You can scale your deployments without taking into consideration the cluster's capacity, simplifying the execution of scalable workloads, such as high-traffic web applications and data-processing jobs.
Highly available Kubernetes with autoscaling
Increase the availability of applications using clusters that span multiple availability domains (data centers) in any commercial region or in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Dedicated Region. Scale pods horizontally and vertically and scale clusters too.
Automatic Kubernetes upgrades
Trigger an upgrade of your Kubernetes version with one click. Virtual nodes automatically deliver seamless, on-the-fly updates and security patches of your worker nodes and underlying infrastructure, while respecting the availability of your applications.
Cluster observability
Monitor and secure these applications with tools from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Datadog, Aqua Security, and other partners.
Self-healing cluster nodes
When it detects node failures, Container Engine for Kubernetes automatically provisions new worker nodes to maintain cluster availability.
Safe node delete
Safely delete your worker nodes without disrupting your applications with automated cordon and drain options.
Made for developers
One-click cluster creation
Deploy Kubernetes clusters, including the underlying virtual cloud networks, internet gateways, and NAT gateways, with a single click.
Complete REST API and command line interface (CLI) support
Automate Kubernetes operations with web-based REST API and CLI for all actions, including Kubernetes cluster creation, scaling, and operations.
A comprehensive range of compute options
Optimize cost and performance by choosing the most appropriate compute shapes from a wide range of bare metal, high-performance computing (HPC), and virtual machine options. Manage GPU and Arm-based applications in a Kubernetes environment with OKE. Support multiarchitecture images with Oracle Container Image Registry.
Tight integration with other OCI services
Container Engine for Kubernetes easily integrates with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services, such as OCI Container Registry, DevOps CI/CD, networking, storage, and more. OCI Service Operator for Kubernetes enables you to manage your OCI services directly from your OKE cluster.
Built on open source, works with your DevOps toolchain
Container Engine for Kubernetes is built on open standards and is fully conformant with open source upstream Kubernetes. This enables you to leverage ecosystem solutions and easily integrate with your dev tools, such as Argo CD, Gitlab, Jenkins, and others.
Security
Encryption
Encrypt Kubernetes secrets at-rest using the Key Management service.
Oracle always encrypts block volumes, boot volumes, and volume backups at rest using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm with 256-bit encryption. You can also manage the lifecycle of your own encryption keys using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Vault.
Compliance
OCI Container Engine for Kubernetes complies with regulatory frameworks, such as HIPAA, PCI, and SOC 2.
Private Kubernetes clusters and Bastion
With private clusters, you can restrict access to the Kubernetes API endpoint to your on-premises network or a Bastion host, improving your security posture. To easily access fully private clusters, you can now use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Bastion.
Network security groups for your Kubernetes clusters
Container Engine for Kubernetes supports network security groups (NSGs) for all cluster components. An NSG consists of a set of ingress and egress security rules that apply to virtual network interface cards (VNICs) in your virtual cloud network (VCN). With NSG, you can separate your virtual cloud network architecture from your cluster components’ security requirements.
Authentication and authorization
Control access and permissions using native Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Identity and Access Management, Oracle Identity Cloud Service, and Kubernetes role-based access control (RBAC). You can also configure OCI IAM multi-factor authentication (MFA)..
Container image scanning, signing, and verification
OKE supports container image scanning, signing, and verification so you can ensure that your application images are free of serious security vulnerabilities and that the integrity of the container images is preserved when deployed by enforcing image signing.
Audit the Kubernetes activity
All Kubernetes audit events are made available in the OCI Audit service.
Flexibility and performance
Build apps that work across on-premises and other clouds
Container Engine for Kubernetes uses unmodified open source Kubernetes that complies with the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and Open Container Initiative (OCI) standards for application portability.
Flexibility to use any tool for cluster management
Bring your own tools, or take advantage of Oracle's partners for security, federation, observability, and build automation.
End-to-end container lifecycle management
Manage containers’ lifecycle from start to finish. Build and test images with OCI DevOps, deploy from Container Registry, integrate with Autonomous Database, and more.
DevOps automation
Highly available Kubernetes with autoscaling
Increase the availability of applications using clusters that span multiple availability domains (data centers) in any commercial region or in Oracle Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer. Scale pods horizontally and vertically, and scale clusters too.
Streamline development and operations of Kubernetes clusters
Automate deployment of cloud native applications with Oracle Visual Builder Studio or any third-party tool. Monitor and secure these applications with tools from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Datadog, Aqua Security, and other partners.
Automatic Kubernetes upgrades
Easily and quickly upgrade container clusters, with zero downtime, to keep them up to date with the latest stable version of Kubernetes.
Self-healing cluster nodes
When it detects node failures, Container Engine for Kubernetes automatically provisions new worker nodes to maintain cluster availability.
Easy administration of worker nodes
Use the well-known, Docker-based container runtime for worker nodes, with full access via Secure Shell (SSH).
Elastic Kubernetes service for portability and flexibility
Build apps that work across on-premises and other clouds
OKE uses unmodified open source Kubernetes that complies with the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and Open Container Initiative (OCI) standards for application portability.
Flexibility to use any tool for cluster management
Bring your own tools, OCI cloud services, or take advantage of Oracle's partners for security, federation, observability, and build automation.
A comprehensive range of compute options
Optimize both cost and performance by choosing the most appropriate compute shapes from a wide range of bare metal, high-performance computing (HPC), and virtual machine options.
End-to-end container lifecycle management
Manage container lifecycles from start to finish. Build and test images with Visual Builder Studio, deploy from Registry, and integrate with Autonomous Database.
Kubernetes security and performance
Tight integration with infrastructure, Autonomous Database, and Oracle WebLogic Server
Container Engine for Kubernetes easily integrates with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services, Autonomous Database using the Service Broker, and WebLogic Server using the WebLogic Operator.
Encryption and compliance
Encrypt Kubernetes secrets at-rest using the Key Management service, and stay in compliance with HIPAA, PCI, and SOC 2.
Private Kubernetes clusters and security
Leverage private Kubernetes clusters. Control access and permissions using native Identity and Access Management, Identity Cloud Service and Kubernetes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes customer successes
Independent software vendors, research institutions, and other organizations use Container Engine to improve developer efficiency.
CERN openlab achieves 100% uptime with Kubernetes, Autonomous Database, and WebLogic Server
Container Engine for Kubernetes use cases
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Create a new container-based application
Manage microservices running in Docker containers and using a common API for communication.
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Run WebLogic Server on Kubernetes
Define the app and server in a Docker file—without refactoring. Use a CI/CD tool to deploy them into Kubernetes.
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Design and build cloud native architectures
Explore the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architecture Center for a wide selection of architectures and solution playbooks on cloud native, Kubernetes, microservices, and more.
Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes pricing
There is no additional charge for cluster management using Container Engine for Kubernetes. Customers pay only for the infrastructure used by containerized workloads, such as for the worker nodes (compute), storage, and other resources consumed. Oracle manages the multi-availability domain parent nodes and provides them to customers for free.
New serverless options for running Containers and Kubernetes in OCI available soon
Greg Verstraeten, Senior Principal Product Manager, Oracle
In Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), we strive to simplify the operational experience of running containers. OCI currently offers a managed Kubernetes service, Container Engine for Kubernetes (OKE), that allows you to run containerized applications at scale.
We are excited to offer serverless experiences to run containers on OCI so that you can focus on building your applications while we manage the infrastructure for you. Today, we announce the preview availability of OCI Container Instances, and a new capability for OKE, Virtual Nodes.
Read the complete postFeatured Kubernetes blogs
- July 12, 2022 Announcing VCN-native pod networking for Kubernetes in OCI
- Feb 9, 2022 Container Engine for Kubernetes supports capacity reservations
- January 11, 2022 Container Engine for Kubernetes custom worker node startup script support
- September 11, 2021 Multifactor authentication support for OCI Container Engine for Kubernetes
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