Kubernetes and Container Orchestration

Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for container orchestration, providing powerful abstractions for deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications across distributed infrastructure. This collection explores the practical realities of working with Kubernetes in production environments, including managed services like Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and self-hosted clusters.

The articles examine core Kubernetes concepts such as pods, deployments, services, and ingress controllers, while addressing common challenges around networking, storage, security, and observability. Topics include cluster configuration, resource management, service mesh integration, and the operational complexity that comes with adopting Kubernetes.

Beyond basic deployment scenarios, the content investigates real-world troubleshooting, performance optimization, and architectural decisions teams face when building systems on Kubernetes. The focus remains on understanding when Kubernetes adds value and how to navigate its steep learning curve effectively.

Storage Architecture & Stateful Workloads in AKS

Stateful workloads in Kubernetes require understanding PersistentVolume architecture, Azure storage trade-offs, and backup strategies. This article covers PVC/PV patterns, Azure Disk vs Files performance profiles, Velero backup configurations, and multi-cluster replication patterns based on production experience.

AKS Cluster Upgrades: Zero-Downtime Operations That Actually Work

AKS cluster upgrades involve node replacement and pod eviction, which can cause service disruption without proper controls. This article explains cordon and drain mechanics, Pod Disruption Budget configuration, and multi-node-pool rollout strategies with validation-driven automation for reliable zero-downtime upgrades.

Pod Identity & Access Control in AKS: What Actually Breaks

Traditional AKS authentication relied on service principals and mounted secrets. Workload Identity Federation eliminates credential lifecycle problems, but introduces new failure modes. This article covers the operational realities: where credentials still leak, how RBAC layers compound across Kubernetes and Azure, and validation patterns that prevent identity failures in production.

Kubernetes Is Not a Platform Strategy

Kubernetes has become an assumed default in many organizations, positioned as a universal platform that absorbs governance, security, observability, and operational responsibility. This narrative is incomplete. Kubernetes is a powerful runtime orchestrator that solves one phase of the software lifecycle. Architectural risk, cost decisions, and operational failure occur elsewhere. A critical examination of where Kubernetes’s responsibility ends, and what remains the architect’s job.

AKS Network Policies: The Security Layer Your Cluster Is Missing

Network segmentation is a fundamental security control for modern Kubernetes environments. AKS supports multiple networking models such as kubenet, Azure CNI, and overlay CNIs. The networking model matters, but the decisive factor for enforcing isolation and compliance is the consistent application of network policies.

This article describes how network policies work in AKS, the available engines, practical examples, and recommended practices for enforcing a zero-trust posture within a cluster.

AKS Networking Clash: kubenet vs. CNI vs. CNI Overlay

Selecting the right network model is arguably one of the most critical architectural decisions you will make when deploying a Kubernetes cluster on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). This choice ripples through nearly every aspect of your cluster’s lifecycle, influencing how pods communicate, how efficiently you use your IP address space, which Azure services integrate seamlessly with your workloads, and ultimately, how well your infrastructure scales to meet future demands. It affects scalability, security posture, operational cost, performance characteristics, available integration options, and your long-term operational flexibility.