Introduction

One of the primary tasks assigned to platform engineers is selecting and configuring the appropriate tools from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) toolbox. Some of these tools are challenging to test and evaluate without a Kubernetes (K8s) cluster. To avoid incurring high cloud bills and facilitate rapid prototyping, it is easier to create clusters locally. One tool to accomplish that is Kind.

Kind

Kind (Kubernetes IN Docker) is a powerful tool designed for running local Kubernetes clusters using Docker container nodes. Kind creates lightweight clusters by running Kubernetes nodes as Docker containers, making it faster and more resource-efficient than traditional virtual machine-based solutions.

One of Kind's key advantages is its ability to create multi-node clusters, allowing developers to simulate more complex Kubernetes environments on their local machines. The local clusters make it particularly useful for testing cluster-specific features, networking configurations, and deployment strategies before pushing to production environments.

Demo

I have several GitHub repos showcasing the use of the tool, e.g., https://github.com/fredrkl/kyverno-demo.

Creating a single-node cluster is as easy as:

The cluster provisioning took under a minute.

If you need multiple worker nodes for some reason, you will need to create a configuration file and send it as a parameter. The Kind documentation is good.

Conclusion

Kind (Kubernetes IN Docker) provides an efficient and resource-friendly solution for running local Kubernetes clusters using Docker containers. It enables developers to create both single and multi-node clusters quickly, making prototyping and testing Kubernetes configurations and CNCF tools easier before deploying to production.