Kubernetes

Overview In the previous post, we built an Internal Developer Platform (IDP) using Helm chart-based project templates and ArgoCD ApplicationSet. This post covers how to install Prometheus and Grafana to collect and visualize metrics, and install Loki to centrally collect and analyze logs, building an integrated monitoring environment for the homelab Kubernetes cluster. The Need for Monitoring When operating a homelab Kubernetes cluster, you need to periodically check node and pod status, resource usage like CPU and memory, whether applications are operating normally, and log data for identifying causes when problems occur. To visually monitor this information, the following tools are used. ...

Overview In the previous post, we installed Harbor container registry, Argo Events, and Argo Workflows as the foundation for a CI/CD pipeline. This post covers integrating these components with ArgoCD and designing Helm chart-based project templates to build an Internal Developer Platform (IDP) that enables deployment of projects with complete CI/CD pipelines from a single YAML file. What is an Internal Developer Platform What is an Internal Developer Platform (IDP)? ...

Overview In the previous post, we installed HashiCorp Vault to build a secure secrets management system. This post covers installing and configuring three core components needed to build a CI/CD pipeline: Harbor container registry, Argo Events, and Argo Workflows. CI/CD System Components Building a complete CI/CD pipeline in a homelab environment requires the following core components: Container Registry: A central repository for storing and distributing built container images, enabling self-management of images without depending on public registries like Docker Hub. Event Processing System: Responsible for detecting various events such as code changes in Git repositories and webhook receipts, and triggering subsequent tasks in response. Workflow Engine: An engine for defining and executing actual CI/CD tasks such as code building, test execution, and container image creation. GitOps Deployment System: A system that automatically synchronizes the desired state defined in Git repositories to the cluster. ArgoCD, installed in a previous series post, handles this role. In this post, we implement the container registry, event processing system, and workflow engine using Harbor, Argo Events, and Argo Workflows respectively. In the next post, we integrate these with ArgoCD to complete a full CI/CD pipeline. ...

Overview In the previous post, we configured DDNS and port forwarding to enable external internet access to homelab Kubernetes cluster services. This post covers how to install and configure HashiCorp Vault to securely manage sensitive information like passwords, API keys, and certificates in the Kubernetes cluster. Limitations of Default Kubernetes Secrets Secret management was the biggest challenge while building the homelab environment using GitOps methodology. Several limitations became clear when using default Kubernetes Secrets. ...

Overview In the previous post, we installed the Traefik ingress controller and configured secure access to management interfaces by separating internal and external services. This post covers how to configure DDNS and port forwarding to enable external internet access to services running in the homelab Kubernetes cluster. Network Architecture Summary First, let’s briefly summarize the network architecture configured in the previous post: Internal Load Balancer (192.168.0.200): Exposes only management interfaces like ArgoCD, Longhorn, and Traefik dashboard, accessible only from within the internal network. External Load Balancer (192.168.0.201): Exposes only public services like blogs and personal projects, accessible from the external internet through router port forwarding. ...

Overview In the previous post, we installed the Longhorn distributed storage system to build a persistent storage environment where data is retained even when pods restart or move to different nodes. This post covers installing the Traefik ingress controller on a homelab Kubernetes cluster and configuring secure access to management interfaces from the internal network. Choosing an Ingress Controller There are several methods for exposing Kubernetes services externally in a homelab environment: ...

Overview In the previous post, we set up a GitOps environment by installing ArgoCD. This post covers how to install and configure the Longhorn distributed storage system in a homelab Kubernetes cluster, sharing experiences from evaluating various storage solutions and explaining why persistent storage is necessary. Storage Challenges in a Homelab Environment One of the biggest challenges when building a homelab Kubernetes cluster was configuring storage. Most practical applications such as databases, monitoring tools, and backup systems require persistent storage that maintains data even when pods restart or move to different nodes. ...

Overview In the previous post, we set up a homelab Kubernetes cluster using Dell OptiPlex Micro machines and completed the basic configuration. This post covers installing ArgoCD, a GitOps tool for declaratively managing all cluster components from a Git repository, and applying the App of Apps pattern to build a scalable infrastructure management system. Understanding GitOps What is GitOps? GitOps is an operational model first proposed by Alexis Richardson of Weaveworks in 2017. It uses a Git repository as the Single Source of Truth for infrastructure and application configurations. All infrastructure changes are tracked through Git commits, reviewed via Pull Requests, and reflected in the actual environment through automated processes, enabling infrastructure to be managed like code. ...

Overview This series covers the process of building a Kubernetes cluster in a homelab environment and configuring a complete CI/CD pipeline for side projects and testing purposes. It demonstrates how to set up an environment where you can experiment with and learn various cloud-native technologies such as container orchestration, networking, storage, monitoring, and GitOps by running Kubernetes at home without the burden of cloud service costs. The hardware setup consists of five Dell OptiPlex Micro units as nodes with TP-Link router and switch for networking. The Dell OptiPlex Micro is a mini PC with low power consumption that can be purchased affordably on the used market. The purchased models are equipped with 9th generation i5 CPUs, 16GB of memory, and 256GB SSDs, providing sufficient specifications to handle Kubernetes workloads. ...

GitOps is an operational methodology that uses Git as the Single Source of Truth to manage declarative states of infrastructure and applications and deploy them automatically. The term was first proposed by Alexis Richardson, CEO of Weaveworks, in 2017 and introduced to the cloud-native community. GitOps extends the Git workflow familiar to developers (Pull Requests, code reviews, branching strategies, etc.) into the infrastructure operations domain, and has become a core paradigm of modern DevOps practices when combined with declarative infrastructure platforms like Kubernetes. ...