> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Kubernetes Refresher > A concise overview of Kubernetes, its features, deployment options, and next steps for setting up on Google Kubernetes Engine. Welcome back! After completing your Google Cloud Platform setup, it's time for a concise Kubernetes refresher. Kubernetes is the leading open-source container orchestration system that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. You build your application into a container image—often with Docker—and Kubernetes takes care of scheduling, running, and scaling those containers in your production environment. *** ## What Is Kubernetes? Kubernetes (or “K8s”) provides: * **Automated container orchestration** for microservices * **Declarative configuration** to define desired state * **Self-healing** to restart or replace failing containers * **Built-in service discovery** and load balancing * **Secret and configuration management** outside of code By centralizing these capabilities, K8s helps teams adopt robust DevOps practices and infrastructure as code. *** ## Key Features ### Automated Rollouts & Rollbacks Kubernetes lets you perform rolling updates with zero downtime. Suppose you have version **4.4.1** of your Docker image running across **2,000 pods**. After building and tagging version **4.8**, you trigger a rolling update. Kubernetes gradually replaces the old pods, monitors health checks, and ensures continuity. If a critical bug appears in **4.8**, a single rollback command reverts your deployment back to **4.4.1**—fast and reliable. ![The image illustrates Kubernetes features, specifically focusing on automated rollouts and rollbacks, with a diagram showing version changes and production details.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752875442/notes-assets/images/GCP-DevOps-Project-Kubernetes-Refresher/kubernetes-automated-rollouts-rollbacks-diagram.jpg) ### Self-Healing, Service Discovery & Load Balancing, and Security * **Self-Healing**: Continuously monitors pod health. Crashed containers are automatically restarted or replaced. * **Service Discovery & Load Balancing**: Kubernetes DNS and Services route traffic evenly across healthy pods. * **Security & Configuration Management**: Use **Secrets** and **ConfigMaps** to store sensitive credentials and application configuration separately from your images. These features work together to keep your cluster in the declared state and strengthen your security posture. ![The image lists Kubernetes features, including self-healing, service discovery and load balancing, and security and configuration management, with corresponding icons.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752875443/notes-assets/images/GCP-DevOps-Project-Kubernetes-Refresher/kubernetes-features-self-healing-icons.jpg) *** ## Deployment Options Kubernetes can be installed and managed in multiple environments: | Environment | Details | Examples | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Managed Cloud | Provider handles control plane upgrades, scaling, and patches | [EKS](https://aws.amazon.com/eks/), [GKE](https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine), [AKS](https://azure.microsoft.com/services/kubernetes-service/) | | On-Premises | Full control over hardware and network, higher operational overhead | **kubeadm**, Rancher, OpenShift | Managed services free you from infrastructure maintenance, while on-premises clusters let you meet specific compliance or latency requirements. ![The image shows logos of three cloud service providers: AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure, labeled under "Cloud Options."](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752875444/notes-assets/images/GCP-DevOps-Project-Kubernetes-Refresher/cloud-options-aws-gcp-azure-logos.jpg) In this course, we’ll deploy and manage a Kubernetes cluster on **Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)**. *** ## Next Steps on GCP Now that you’ve reviewed Kubernetes fundamentals, let’s dive into GKE setup: 1. Create a GKE cluster with `gcloud container clusters create` 2. Configure `kubectl` to point to your new cluster 3. Deploy sample workloads and explore scaling strategies Happy container orchestration!