KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2024

Kubernetes on bare metal presents unique challenges compared to cloud deployments. While kOps is optimized for cloud environments, we have begun to explore bare metal support and identify key architectural trade-offs. We'll examine common architectures for bare metal Kubernetes, such as node discovery and availability without cloud services. Introducing a VM layer creates a familiar Kubernetes environment but adds complexity and can limit hardware performance. We'll discuss managing devices like GPUs and the need for tooling when hardware health isn't verified by a cloud provider. This talk will delve into the kOps project and its potential in supporting bare metal Kubernetes. However, our primary goal is to learn from the community. We invite you to share your successes, struggles, and insights to shape the future of our tooling for bare metal. Your feedback is crucial in guiding our development and ensuring kOps meets the needs of those deploying Kubernetes on bare metal.