GKE is a Google-managed implementation of the Kubernetes open source container orchestration platform. Kubernetes was developed by Google, drawing on years of experience operating production workloads at scale on Borg, our in-house cluster management system. With GKE, you can deploy and operate your own containerized applications at scale using Google's infrastructure.
This page provides an overview of Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and is intended for platform administrators who are looking for a scalable, automated, managed Kubernetes solution.
Get started with GKE
You can start exploring GKE in minutes. You can use GKE's free tier, which lets you get started with Kubernetes without incurring costs for cluster management.
- Try the quickstart to deploy a containerized web application.
- Read the Autopilot overview, which has guidance and resources for planning and operating your platform.
When to use GKE
GKE is ideal if you need a platform that lets you configure the infrastructure that runs your containerized apps, such as networking, scaling, hardware, and security. GKE provides the operational power of Kubernetes while managing many of the underlying components, such as the control plane and nodes, for you.
Benefits of GKE
The following table describes some of the benefits of using GKE as your managed Kubernetes platform:
GKE benefits | |
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Platform management |
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Improved security posture |
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Cost optimization |
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Reliability and availability |
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Configure the application CI/CD pipeline to use Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy, and Artifact Registry. By using managed build and deployment services, you can optimize for security, scale, and simplicity.
Use cases for GKE
GKE and Kubernetes are used in a variety of industries, including robotics, healthcare, retail, education, gaming, and financial services. Examples of workloads you can run include:
- AI and ML operations
- Data processing at scale
- Scalable online games platforms
- Reliable applications under heavy load
For case studies by industry and application, refer to Google Cloud customers.
How GKE works
A GKE environment consists of nodes, which are Compute Engine virtual machines (VMs), that are grouped together to form a cluster. You package your apps (also called workloads) into containers. You deploy sets of containers as Pods to your nodes. You use the Kubernetes API to interact with your workloads, including administering, scaling, and monitoring.
Kubernetes clusters have a set of management nodes called the control plane, which run system components such as the Kubernetes API server. In GKE, Google manages the control plane and system components for you. In Autopilot mode, which is the recommended way to run GKE, Google also manages your worker nodes. Google automatically upgrades component versions for improved stability and security, ensuring high availability, and ensuring integrity of data stored in the cluster's persistent storage.
For more information, refer to GKE cluster architecture.
If you run your workloads in VMs, consider using Migrate for GKE to containerize the workloads without having to rewrite apps or modify source code.
Kubernetes versions and features
GKE automatically upgrades your control plane to new Kubernetes versions that add new features and improvements in the open source project. The Kubernetes version selected for auto-upgrades depends on the stable version in the GKE release channel you select when you create the cluster. You can also manually upgrade your control plane to a different Kubernetes version than the version GKE selects for an upgrade. For detailed information on versions and upgrades, refer to the release notes and GKE versioning and upgrades. If you use GKE Standard mode and don't enroll in a release channel, you won't get automatic upgrades.
GKE includes most beta and stable Kubernetes features. You can use beta APIs in 1.24 and later.
If you want to try less stable Kubernetes features in the alpha stage, use alpha Standard clusters. Also, don't enable beta APIs in production clusters, or carefully considering the implications before doing so.
Modes of operation
GKE has the Autopilot and Standard modes of operation, which offer you different levels of flexibility, responsibility, and control.
If you want more information before you choose a mode, refer to Choose a GKE mode of operation.
Use the fully managed Autopilot mode, in which Google Cloud manages your nodes for you and provides a workload-focused, cost-optimized, production-ready experience. Only use Standard mode if you know you have a specific need to manually manage the node pools and clusters.
What's next
- Start learning about GKE.
- Learn how to deploy a containerized application in GKE.
- Learn more about types of clusters.
- Learn more about Kubernetes.
- Explore the GKE documentation.