Working with Kubernetes Clusters in the VMware Cloud Director Tenant Portal

You can create Kubernetes clusters of different node sizes from the existing organization VDC policies.

Kubernetes Container Clusters is the VMware Cloud Director Container Service Extension plug-in for VMware Cloud Director. You can use the Kubernetes Container Clusters plug-in in the VMware Cloud Director Tenant Portal to deploy clusters with native and VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated Edition (TKGI) clusters. You can create Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Service clusters without the VMware Cloud Director Container Service Extension.

When enabled on a vSphere cluster, VMware vSphere^® with VMware Tanzu™ provides the capability to create upstream Kubernetes clusters in dedicated resource pools. For more information, see the vSphere with Kubernetes Configuration and Management guide in the vSphere documentation.

When a service provider creates a provider VDC Kubernetes policy and publishes the policy to an organization VDC, they create an organization VDC Kubernetes policy. You can use the Kubernetes Container Clusters plug-in to create Tanzu Kubernetes clusters by applying one of the organization VDC Kubernetes policies.

Kubernetes Runtime Options

• Tanzu Kubernetes Grid, informally known as TKG - Starting with VMware Cloud Director 10.3.1, you can create Tanzu Kubernetes Grid clusters. Tanzu Kubernetes Grid supports VMware hardened and signed upstream compatible Kubernetes, single control plane node, independent disk-based dynamic provisioning of Persistent Volumes, and L4 load balancer automation. For more information on Tanzu Kubernetes Grid clusters, see the VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid documentation.
• VMware Tanzu^® Kubernetes Grid™ Service clusters, informally known as TKGS - You can use the vSphere with Tanzu runtime option to create vSphere with Tanzu managed Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Service clusters. Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Service supports VMware hardened and signed upstream compatible Kubernetes, multiple control plane nodes, First Class Disk-based dynamic and static provisioning of Persistent Volumes, and L4 load balancer automation. This option offers more features, however, it might be more expensive. For more information, see the vSphere with Tanzu Configuration and Management guide in the vSphere documentation.
• Native clusters - The Kubernetes Container Clusters plug-in manages the clusters with native Kubernetes runtime. These clusters are with reduced High Availability function with a single control plane node, they offer fewer persistent volume choices and no networking automation. However, they might come at a lower cost.
• TKGI clusters - VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated Edition is a purpose-built container solution to operationalize Kubernetes for multi-cloud enterprises and service providers. Some of its capabilities are high availability, auto-scaling, health-checks, as well as self-healing and rolling upgrades for Kubernetes clusters. For more information on TKGI clusters, see the VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated Edition documentation.