Streamlining Kubernetes Deployments with k3s and Ansible Playbook

At NetActuate, we are committed to simplifying and optimizing infrastructure for our customers. Recently, we enhanced our Ansible playbooks to include support for k3s, a lightweight Kubernetes distribution ideal for edge computing and resource-constrained environments. This update empowers our customers to deploy Kubernetes clusters more efficiently while enjoying significant operational benefits.  

Here’s a quick look at our playbook in action:  

$ ansible-playbook -i hosts main.yaml

PLAY RECAP

******************************************************************************************

db-replica.k3s.playbook : ok=43 changed=6 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=9 rescued=0 ignored=0

db.k3s.playbook : ok=46 changed=8 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=9 rescued=0 ignored=0

lb.k3s.playbook : ok=14 changed=2 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=1 rescued=0 ignored=0

node0.k3s.playbook : ok=80 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=60 rescued=0 ignored=0

node1.k3s.playbook : ok=69 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=56 rescued=0 ignored=0

node2.k3s.playbook : ok=69 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=56 rescued=0 ignored=0

node3.k3s.playbook : ok=69 changed=15 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=57 rescued=0 ignored=1

$ sudo kubectl get nodes

NAME   STATUS   ROLES                  AGE     VERSION

node0  Ready    control-plane,master   28m     v1.30.6+k3s1

node1  Ready    control-plane,master   26m     v1.30.6+k3s1

node2  Ready    control-plane,master   26m     v1.30.6+k3s1

node3  Ready    control-plane,master   33s     v1.30.6+k3s1

******************************************************************************************

Customer Benefits:  

1. Ease of Deployment: Automating the k3s setup via Ansible reduces time-to-value, enabling customers to focus on their workloads instead of infrastructure management.
   • Playbook establishes a minimal kubernetes cluster ready to load custom service nodes on top of.
   • Allows for internal or external load balancing
   • Allows for etcd or remote db storage
2. Cost Efficiency: k3s’ lightweight design minimizes resource usage, lowering the operational costs of running Kubernetes clusters  
3. Scalability and Flexibility: Customers can rapidly spin up additional nodes or scale down as needed, ensuring agility in dynamic environments  
4. Streamlined Management: Integration with Ansible provides centralized and repeatable cluster provisioning, ideal for distributed or hybrid deployments.  

Whether you're deploying edge applications or managing hybrid workloads, NetActuate’s k3s support can simplify your Kubernetes journey.  

Interested in learning more?

Schedule a call now to speak to a NetActuate engineer.