# Kubernetes Is a Container Orchestration System, but *That's Not the Point*.
URL:: https://nikhiljha.com/posts/kubernetes-intro/
Author:: Nikhil Jha
## Highlights
> Think of Kubernetes like an operating system (OS). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yhesghjxpes0fkv8ahc90))
> For our purposes, there are **two key differences** between Kubernetes and a traditional OS. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yhtgj2pz6zdm85t496jjp))
> The first difference is the way you define what software to run. In a traditional OS, you have an init system (like systemd) that starts your software. In Kubernetes, you define objects, and Kubernetes uses these objects to configure and run the software you specify. Objects are similar to those in programming languages: they are typed and contain data specific to their type. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yj3nxvnsy3v43pvk8h0zd))
> The second difference is that Kubernetes works across multiple computers. In a traditional OS, you need to decide what software gets deployed to what machine. With Kubernetes, you deploy one piece of software to the entire cluster, and Kubernetes figures out what machine to run it on based on the rules you give it. For example, you might say you want to run IPython notebooks on any node with a GPU, and run your web apps on nodes without GPUs. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yjdns7t5vdqra68kktqa1))
> The main idea behind Kubernetes is declarative infrastructure management, not running containers. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yjt8s610ep9gcqn63pz8r))
---
Title: Kubernetes Is a Container Orchestration System, but *That's Not the Point*.
Author: Nikhil Jha
Tags: readwise, articles
date: 2024-01-30
---
# Kubernetes Is a Container Orchestration System, but *That's Not the Point*.
URL:: https://nikhiljha.com/posts/kubernetes-intro/
Author:: Nikhil Jha
## AI-Generated Summary
The why and how of Kubernetes, instead of the what. A gentle introduction to Kubernetes.
## Highlights
> Think of Kubernetes like an operating system (OS). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yhesghjxpes0fkv8ahc90))
> For our purposes, there are **two key differences** between Kubernetes and a traditional OS. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yhtgj2pz6zdm85t496jjp))
> The first difference is the way you define what software to run. In a traditional OS, you have an init system (like systemd) that starts your software. In Kubernetes, you define objects, and Kubernetes uses these objects to configure and run the software you specify. Objects are similar to those in programming languages: they are typed and contain data specific to their type. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yj3nxvnsy3v43pvk8h0zd))
> The second difference is that Kubernetes works across multiple computers. In a traditional OS, you need to decide what software gets deployed to what machine. With Kubernetes, you deploy one piece of software to the entire cluster, and Kubernetes figures out what machine to run it on based on the rules you give it. For example, you might say you want to run IPython notebooks on any node with a GPU, and run your web apps on nodes without GPUs. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yjdns7t5vdqra68kktqa1))
> The main idea behind Kubernetes is declarative infrastructure management, not running containers. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ff0yjt8s610ep9gcqn63pz8r))