Kubernetes & DevOps Dictionary
The worlds of Kubernetes and DevOps are filled full of jargon and acronyms that can be a minefield for everyone, not just newbies! Here’s a handy reference list of some of the most common terms and their meanings.
Admission Controllers
What is an Admission Controller? An Admission Controller is a plugin in Kubernetes that intercepts requests to the Kubernetes API server and evaluates them before they are persisted in the cluster's etcd database. Admission controllers enforce policies and modify requests to ensure they comply with the rules and configurations of...
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API (Application Programming Interface)
An API, or Application Programming Interface, allows different software applications to communicate with each other by defining rules and protocols for requests and responses. APIs play a crucial role in modern software development, enabling integration between systems, services, and platforms. Whether connecting microservices in a cloud infrastructure or building custom...
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API Gateway
What is an API Gateway? An API Gateway is a server or application that acts as a single entry point for managing and routing API requests between clients and backend services. It provides essential features such as authentication, request routing, rate limiting, caching, and monitoring. In a microservices architecture, an...
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Artifact
What is an Artifact? An Artifact in software development refers to any file or document generated during the software development lifecycle (SDLC). It is often a byproduct of build or deployment processes, such as compiled code, binary files, container images, or configuration files. Artifacts are essential for ensuring consistency and...
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Artifact Repository
What is an Artifact Repository? An Artifact Repository is a centralized storage solution used to manage, version, and distribute artifacts generated during the software development lifecycle. Artifacts can include compiled binaries, container images, libraries, configuration files, and other files necessary for building, testing, and deploying software. Artifact repositories play a...
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Automation
Automation in the context of DevOps refers to the process of using technology to perform tasks and processes in the software development lifecycle without manual intervention. It plays a critical role in enabling the continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD), and deployment of software, as well as improving collaboration between development...
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Autoscaling
What is Autoscaling? Autoscaling in Kubernetes is the process of automatically adjusting the number of running pods or nodes in a cluster based on workload demand. It ensures that applications have enough resources to handle increased traffic or processing needs while scaling down during periods of low activity to save...
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Blue-Green Deployment
What is Blue-Green Deployment? Blue-Green Deployment is a deployment strategy that minimizes downtime and risk by maintaining two separate environments: one active environment (blue) and one idle environment (green). The new version of the application is deployed to the green environment, while the blue environment continues serving users. Once the...
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Build Pipeline
What is a Build Pipeline? A Build Pipeline is a series of automated processes that compile, assemble, and prepare source code into a deployable software artifact. It is an essential part of the software development lifecycle, designed to streamline the build process and ensure that the resulting software is ready...
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Canary Deployment
What is a Canary Deployment? A Canary Deployment is a progressive deployment strategy in which a new version of an application is released to a small subset of users before rolling it out to the entire user base. This approach minimizes risk by allowing teams to monitor the performance and...
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CI Pipeline
What is a CI Pipeline? A CI Pipeline, or Continuous Integration Pipeline, is a series of automated processes that streamline the integration of code changes into a shared repository. It is a critical component of the software development lifecycle, enabling teams to build, test, and validate their code continuously and...
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CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery)
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment, which are software development practices designed to enhance the development workflow and speed up the release cycle. Here’s a breakdown of both: Continuous Integration (CI): Purpose: To automate the integration of code changes from multiple developers into a shared repository. How it...
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Circuit Breaker Pattern
What is the Circuit Breaker Pattern? The Circuit Breaker Pattern is a software design pattern used to improve the resilience and stability of distributed systems. It prevents repeated attempts to perform an operation that is likely to fail, such as a network call to a service that is temporarily unavailable....
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Cloud-native
Cloud-native refers to a set of principles and practices used to build and run scalable applications that fully leverage the advantages of cloud computing. Cloud-native applications are designed to be highly available, resilient, and scalable, making use of modern cloud infrastructure and services. These applications are typically developed using microservices,...
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CloudFormation
AWS CloudFormation is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows users to define, provision, and manage AWS infrastructure resources using code. With CloudFormation, infrastructure is defined in templates written in either JSON or YAML formats, which are used to create, update, or delete AWS resources such as...
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Code Review
What is Code Review? A Code Review is the process of systematically examining source code written by a developer to identify bugs, improve code quality, and ensure adherence to coding standards. It is a collaborative activity typically conducted by peers or senior developers within a team before the code is...
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Configmap
What is a ConfigMap? A ConfigMap in Kubernetes is an API object used to store configuration data in a key-value format. It allows you to decouple configuration details from application code, making it easier to manage and update configuration settings without rebuilding or redeploying applications. ConfigMaps can store data such...
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Container Registry
What is a Container Registry? A Container Registry is a centralized repository for storing, managing, and distributing container images. It acts as a version-controlled hub where developers can push their container images after building them and pull those images when deploying containers in different environments. Container registries are essential for...
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Container Runtime
What is a Container Runtime? A Container Runtime is a software component that is responsible for running containers. It manages the lifecycle of containers, including creating, starting, stopping, and deleting them. Container runtimes provide the low-level functionality needed to run containerized applications by interacting with the underlying operating system and...
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Containerization
What is Containerization? Containerization is a lightweight virtualization technology that packages an application and its dependencies into a single, self-contained unit called a container. Containers share the host operating system's kernel but remain isolated from one another, ensuring that applications run consistently across different environments. Unlike traditional virtual machines, containers...
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