Getting started with IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service

IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service is a managed Kubernetes service to create your own cluster of compute hosts where you can deploy and manage containerized apps on IBM Cloud. Combined with an intuitive user experience, built-in security and isolation, and advanced tools to secure, manage, and monitor your cluster workloads, you can rapidly deliver highly available and secure containerized apps in the public cloud.

Ready to create your first cluster?

If you already have an IBM Cloud account and want to get started immediately:

Create a cluster now

Don't have an account? Sign up for IBM Cloud

Use this page to move through the main setup flow: review the service, prepare your account, plan your environment, create a cluster, and deploy a sample app.

Review the basics

Start with the core concepts, terminology, and benefits. For more information, see Understanding IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service.

If you already know the basics, continue to the next section.

Prepare your account

Make sure that your IBM Cloud account is ready for cluster creation. For setup steps, see Preparing your account to create clusters.

You must be logged in to IBM Cloud before you create a cluster. If you don't have an account yet, you can create one.

Pricing considerations

Pricing varies based on worker node flavor, number of nodes, and infrastructure type. For more information, see Kubernetes Service pricing.

Create a cluster environment strategy

Before you create a cluster, review the main design choices in Creating a cluster environment strategy. This topic helps you decide on factors such as infrastructure, networking, and availability.

Create a cluster

Follow a tutorial or set up your own custom cluster environment. Review the following table for your deployment options.

Options for creating a cluster
Type Level Time Description
Tutorial Beginner 1 hour Follow the steps in this tutorial to create your own Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), then create an IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service cluster by using the CLI. For more information, see Create a cluster in your own Virtual Private Cloud.
Custom deployment Intermediate 1-3 hours Create a custom cluster on Classic infrastructure.
Custom deployment Intermediate 1-3 hours Create a custom cluster on VPC infrastructure.

Already have a cluster? Learn how to access it and continue to the next step to deploy a sample app!

Deploy a sample app

After you create a cluster, deploy a sample app by using the Kubernetes dashboard.

  1. Select your cluster from the cluster list.
  2. Click Kubernetes dashboard.
  3. Click the Create new resource icon (+), then select the Create from form tab.
  4. Enter a name for your app, such as liberty.
  5. Enter websphere-liberty for the container image.
  6. Enter the number of pods for your app deployment, such as 1.
  7. From the Service list, select External to create a LoadBalancer service.
  8. Configure the external service:
    • Port: 80
    • Target port: 9080
    • Protocol: TCP
  9. Click Deploy.
  10. From the Pods menu, confirm that your liberty pod status is Running.
  11. From the Services menu, open the External Endpoint of your liberty service. For example, 169.xx.xxx.xxx:80 for classic clusters or http://<hash>-<region>.lb.appdomain.cloud/ for VPC clusters.

Your app is exposed by a Layer 4, version 1.0 network load balancer. To learn about other exposure options, see Planning in-cluster and external networking for apps.

Quick actions

If you already have a cluster, use these links to continue:

Access your cluster
Connect to your cluster and run kubectl commands. For more information, see Accessing clusters.
Install the CLI
Set up your local development environment. For more information, see Installing the CLI.
Deploy your first app
Get hands-on with a sample application. For more information, see Deploying apps.

Need to check pricing first? View Kubernetes Service pricing.

What's next?

Continue with one of these curated learning paths: