Best Container Management Software for Knative

Google Cloud Platform offers a powerful solution for managing containers through Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), enabling users to efficiently deploy, manage, and scale their containerized applications. GKE streamlines the deployment process and features inherent scalability tailored for microservices architectures. New users can take advantage of $300 in free credits, allowing them to experiment with container management functionalities and assess how GCP can facilitate production-level containerized workloads. GCP's container services seamlessly integrate with other Google offerings such as Cloud Build and Cloud Monitoring, empowering organizations to develop, deploy, and monitor their applications in real-time. Furthermore, GKE ensures that containerized applications are continuously secure and current through automatic updates and patch management. These features simplify the management of containerized workloads at scale, significantly reducing operational complexity for businesses.

Kubernetes (K8s) is a powerful open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of applications that are containerized. By organizing containers into manageable groups, it simplifies the processes of application management and discovery. Drawing from over 15 years of experience in handling production workloads at Google, Kubernetes also incorporates the best practices and innovative ideas from the wider community. Built on the same foundational principles that enable Google to efficiently manage billions of containers weekly, it allows for scaling without necessitating an increase in operational personnel. Whether you are developing locally or operating a large-scale enterprise, Kubernetes adapts to your needs, providing reliable and seamless application delivery regardless of complexity. Moreover, being open-source, Kubernetes offers the flexibility to leverage on-premises, hybrid, or public cloud environments, facilitating easy migration of workloads to the most suitable infrastructure. This adaptability not only enhances operational efficiency but also empowers organizations to respond swiftly to changing demands in their environments.

Ambassador Edge Stack, a Kubernetes-native API Gateway, provides simplicity, security, and scalability for some of the largest Kubernetes infrastructures in the world. Ambassador Edge Stack makes it easy to secure microservices with a complete set of security functionality including automatic TLS, authentication and rate limiting. WAF integration is also available. Fine-grained access control is also possible. The API Gateway is a Kubernetes-based ingress controller that supports a wide range of protocols, including gRPC, gRPC Web, TLS termination, and traffic management controls to ensure resource availability.

MicroK8s offers a lightweight, low-ops Kubernetes solution tailored for developers working with cloud environments, clusters, workstations, Edge, and IoT devices. It intelligently selects the optimal nodes for the Kubernetes datastore and seamlessly promotes another node if a database node goes offline, ensuring no administrative intervention is required for robust edge deployments. With its compact design and user-friendly defaults, MicroK8s is designed to operate effectively right out of the box, making installation, upgrades, and security management straightforward and efficient. Ideal for micro clouds and edge computing, it provides full enterprise support without a subscription, with the option of 24/7 assistance and a decade of security maintenance. Whether deployed under cell towers, on race cars, in satellites, or within everyday appliances, MicroK8s guarantees the complete Kubernetes experience across IoT and micro clouds. Its fully containerized deployment ensures reliable operations, complemented by compressed over-the-air updates. MicroK8s automatically applies security updates by default, though users can choose to defer them if desired, and upgrading to the latest version of Kubernetes is just a single command away, making the process incredibly simple and hassle-free. This combination of ease of use and robust functionality positions MicroK8s as an invaluable tool for modern developers.