Building a production-ready Kubernetes cluster from scratch
From hardware assembly to network configuration, this guide will guide you through the process of building a production-ready Kubernetes cluster from scratch using Raspberry Pi devices.
Welcome to my new guide on building a production-ready Kubernetes cluster from scratch using Raspberry Pi devices. In this series, you can follow along my journey building my own dedicated Kubernetes cluster at home, from hardware assembly to cluster setup and management.
A small scale cluster allows you to find learnings in a cost-efficient setup, which can then be applied to real-world scenarios and scale up to larger clusters as needed. While large-scale cluster will introduce additional complexity and scenarios not covered in this guide (for now), we are trying to be “production-ready” by meticulously going through all aspects of security, availability and reliability.
This is by no means intended to be complete as I am not intending to write a manual here (you can always dig deeper into the relevant documentations). Instead this guide reflects all the step taken by me during the setup of my cluster, written in a way so you can follow along, including my thoughts and findings outside the official documentations.
I truly hope this guide is helpful for you and can provide valuable insights for those planning a similar project.
I originally planned to offer this guide as a paid online course, but as a strong believer in free open source resources, I made it available for free instead.
Please, if my guides helped you, I would be very grateful if you could support my work by becoming a GitHub Sponsor and by sharing the guides in your network. 🙏
Eventually I might offer additional guides as paid online courses, but for now, I want to focus on providing free guides.
Thank you! ❤️
In particular, this guide will cover the following topics:
- Set up a high-availability Kubernetes cluster using Raspberry Pi devices, from hardware assembly to network configuration
- Install, configure, and manage Kubernetes control plane nodes for redundancy and fault tolerance
- Deploy persistent storage and learn to manage container images and data effectively across multiple nodes
- Implement security best practices, monitoring, and logging to maintain a resilient and secure Kubernetes cluster
This series is perfect for you, if you are any of the following:
- Tech enthusiasts, developers, and IT professionals who want to prototype cluster using Raspberry Pi devices.
- Beginner to intermediate learners with basic Linux and networking knowledge who want to deepen their understanding of Kubernetes.
- DIY hobbyists and makers interested in hands-on projects and building home labs or edge computing solutions with affordable hardware.
- DevOps engineers and system administrators looking to explore Kubernetes clustering, high availability, and storage management in resource-constrained environments.
- Educators and students in computer science or IT fields seeking practical experience with Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies.
To follow along you will need to meet these requirements:
- Basic understanding of Linux command line and shell scripting (e.g., navigating directories, editing files, running commands).
- Basic understanding of containerization and Docker concepts (e.g., containers, images, volumes).
- Know-how on Kubernetes concepts (pods, services, deployments) is helpful but not required.
- Familiarity with networking concepts, including IP addresses, subnets, DNS, and SSH.
- A computer running a unix-like system, such as Linux/macOS or Windows Subsystem with Linux (WSL), with access to a network connection.
- SSH client (e.g., OpenSSH, PuTTY) for remote access to Raspberry Pi devices.
- At least 3 Raspberry Pi devices (e.g. Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM) with MicroSD card (32GB or higher, high endurance recommended), USB-C power supplies for each
- NVMe HATs for each Raspberry Pi with an SSD (512GB or higher)
- A gigabit Ethernet router (e.g. TP-Link ER605) and Ethernet cables (CAT5e or higher)
Overview
guide
, series
and course
, as well as lesson
, article
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, are used interchangeably.
This series is divided into multiple sections, each focusing on a specific area of the guide. Here's an overview of what you can expect in each section, with links to individual lessons:
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Section 1: Introduction to the Guide and Project
Understand the guide objectives, the hardware and software requirements, and the fundamentals of Kubernetes and high availability.
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Lesson 1: Welcome and Guide Overview
Get an introduction to the guide structure, objectives, and the skills you will acquire by the end. Understand how this guide will help you build a high-availability Kubernetes cluster with Raspberry Pi devices.
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Lesson 2: Tools and Equipment Needed
Discover the hardware and software requirements for building your Kubernetes cluster. Learn about the specific tools and equipment you’ll need to follow along with the guide.
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Lesson 3: Kubernetes Concepts and High Availability
Learn the basics of Kubernetes, its core components, and the principles of high availability. Understand how these concepts apply to the cluster you’ll build in this guide.
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Section 2: Building the Physical Setup
Assemble the Raspberry Pi hardware, set up and configure the operating system, and establish a reliable network connection for the cluster.
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Lesson 4: Unboxing Raspberry Pi devices
Unbox your Raspberry Pi devices and prepare them for the cluster setup. Learn about the hardware components and their roles in the Kubernetes cluster.
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Lesson 5: Flashing Raspberry Pi OS and Initial Configuration
Follow a step-by-step guide to install Raspberry Pi OS on your devices, configure essential settings, and prepare them for networking.
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Lesson 6: Setting Up NVMe SSDs for Persistent Storage
Learn how to install NVMe HATs and configure SSD storage for use with Longhorn and local container image storage.
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Lesson 7: Networking Setup and Configuration
Set up the network for your Raspberry Pi cluster, including configuring static IPs, ensuring connectivity, and verifying network settings.
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Section 3: Preparing the Environment for Kubernetes
Install essential Kubernetes tools, configure a container runtime, and prepare all Raspberry Pi nodes for cluster initialization.
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Lesson 8: Installing Kubernetes Tools (kubectl, kubeadm, kubelet)
Install and configure essential Kubernetes tools on your Raspberry Pi devices to prepare them for cluster initialization.
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Lesson 9: Setting Up Docker or Container Runtime
Set up Docker or another container runtime to run containers on your Raspberry Pi devices as part of the Kubernetes cluster.
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Lesson 10: Preparing Nodes for Kubernetes Initialization
Configure each Raspberry Pi node to ensure it’s ready for Kubernetes cluster initialization, including system requirements and configurations.
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Section 4: Configuring the Kubernetes Cluster
Initialize the Kubernetes control plane, join additional nodes to the cluster, and install a pod network to enable communication between nodes.
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Lesson 11: Initializing the First Control Plane Node
Step-by-step guide to initializing the first control plane node in your Kubernetes cluster, including running kubeadm init and configuring the control plane.
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Lesson 12: Installing a Pod Network (CNI Plugin)
Install a Container Network Interface (CNI) plugin to enable communication between pods running on different nodes.
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Lesson 13: Joining Additional Control Plane Nodes
Join additional Raspberry Pi devices as control plane nodes to create a high-availability Kubernetes cluster.
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Lesson 14: Benchmark Networking
Test and verify the high-availability configuration of your Kubernetes control plane.
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Section 5: Setting Up High Availability for the Control Plane
Implement load balancing for the control plane API, set up redundancy using tools like Keepalived or HAProxy, and verify high availability.
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Lesson 15: Configuring Load Balancing for the Control Plane
Discuss the importance of load balancing for the control plane in a Kubernetes cluster and guide you through choosing and configuring a suitable load balancer.
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Lesson 16: Testing Control Plane High Availability
Test and verify the high-availability configuration of your Kubernetes control plane.
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Section 6: Deploying Persistent Storage with Longhorn
Install and configure Longhorn for distributed block storage, create storage classes, and manage persistent volumes across the cluster.
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Lesson 17: Installing Longhorn for Distributed Block Storage
Install and configure **Longhorn**, a lightweight and reliable distributed block storage solution for your Kubernetes cluster.
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Lesson 18: Configuring Longhorn Storage Classes
Configure Longhorn storage classes to manage your Kubernetes cluster's storage resources efficiently.
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Lesson 19: Testing and Optimizing Longhorn Performance
Test and optimize the performance of your Longhorn storage setup to ensure it meets the needs of your applications running in the Kubernetes cluster.
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Getting Started
To get started with the series, head over to the first section to learn more about the guide objectives and the skills you will acquire by the end. .
History
As guides evolve over time to incorporate new technologies, best practices, and community feedback, you can track the various revisions and updates that have been made to this guide here.
I strive to create helpful and accurate content, but there's always room for improvement! Whether you notice a typo, have ideas to make this clearer, or want to share your thoughts, I warmly welcome your feedback. Together, we can make this content even better for everyone.
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