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Controller Nodes

Controller nodes are the brain of the Kubernetes cluster, performing critical functions that ensure the cluster operates efficiently and reliably.

Key Functions of Controller Nodes

  • Kubernetes Control Plane: Controller nodes run the Kubernetes control plane, which manages the overall state of the cluster and schedules applications on worker nodes. This includes tasks such as load balancing, scaling, and maintaining the desired state of the applications.
  • etcd Database: The controller nodes run the etcd database, which is a distributed key-value store used to persist the cluster’s state. This database stores all cluster configuration data and ensures consistency across the cluster.
  • Kubernetes API: The Kubernetes API server runs on the controller nodes, providing a RESTful interface for interacting with the cluster. This allows customers to use tools like kubectl, Helm, and other Kubernetes tooling to manage their applications and cluster resources.

Fully Managed by the Nirvana Team

Controller nodes are fully managed by the Nirvana team, including maintenance, upgrades, and monitoring. Customers do not need to manage the control plane infrastructure.

Controller nodes are billed at standard VM compute and storage rates. The management layer is provided at no additional cost. Every cluster runs three controller nodes by default, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance even if one or two controller nodes fail.

By providing robust and fully managed controller nodes, NKS ensures that customers can focus on deploying and managing their applications with confidence, knowing that the critical aspects of cluster management are handled by the Nirvana team.