This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by SHARON SHAJI
If you’ve ever wondered “What exactly is Kubernetes?” or “How is it different from Docker?”, you’re not alone.
Let’s break it down step by step — in simple terms but with real DevOps depth 
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes (K8s) is an open-source container orchestration platform developed by Google and maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).
In simpler words:
Kubernetes is like the brain of your containerized infrastructure — it automatically decides where, when, and how your containers should run.
Why Do We Need Kubernetes?
Before Kubernetes, developers used Docker to package applications into containers — which was great…
Until you had hundreds of containers running across dozens of servers 
Managing them manually became chaotic — think:
- Restarting crashed containers
- Balancing traffic between services
- Updating apps without downtime
- Scaling up under heavy load
That’s where Kubernetes comes in.
It automates all of these complex tasks with precision and intelligence.
Key Benefits of Kubernetes
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Automation  |
Automatically deploys, restarts, and scales containers. |
| Self-healing | Restarts failed containers and replaces unhealthy nodes. |
|
Load Balancing |
Distributes traffic evenly across Pods. |
|
Scalability |
Scales apps up/down automatically based on metrics. |
Rolling Updates  |
Updates apps without downtime. |
Portability  |
Runs anywhere — cloud, on-premises, or hybrid. |
|
Resource Efficiency |
Optimizes CPU and memory across workloads. |
Kubernetes Core Components (Simplified)
Here’s how a Kubernetes cluster is structured
| Layer | Components | Function |
|---|---|---|
|
Control Plane |
API Server, Scheduler, Controller Manager, etcd | Makes global decisions (what should run, where, and how). |
Worker Nodes  |
Kubelet, Kube Proxy, Container Runtime | Actually run your containers and handle networking. |
Objects  |
Pods, Deployments, Services, Ingress | Define what applications run and how users access them. |
In short:
The Control Plane manages the cluster.
The Worker Nodes execute workloads.
Kubernetes vs Docker — The Big Question
People often say “Kubernetes vs Docker”, but actually, they’re not competitors.
They solve different problems in the container ecosystem.
| Feature
|
Docker | Kubernetes (K8s) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Containerization platform | Container orchestration system |
| Function | Builds and runs containers | Manages and scales containers |
| Focus | Single container lifecycle | Multiple containers across clusters |
| Scope | Developer-level tool | Cluster-level management |
| Networking | Simple bridge network | Advanced service networking (CNI, Ingress) |
| Scaling | Manual scaling | Auto-scaling based on CPU/Memory metrics |
| Self-healing | Not supported | Automatically replaces failed Pods |
| Storage Management | Limited volumes | Persistent Volumes & dynamic storage |
| Load Balancing | Needs manual setup | Built-in service load balancing |
In Summary:
- Docker = How you build and run containers
- Kubernetes = How you orchestrate and manage containers across multiple servers
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by SHARON SHAJI