Blog: Introducing KWOK: Kubernetes WithOut Kubelet

Introducing KWOK: Kubernetes WithOut Kubelet What is KWOK? Why use KWOK? What are the use cases? What are the limitations? Getting started Getting Involved Author: Shiming Zhang (DaoCloud), Wei Huang (Apple), Yibo Zhuang (Apple) Have you ever wondered how to set up a cluster of thousands of nodes just in seconds, how to simulate real nodes with a low resource footprint, and how to test your Kubernetes controller at scale without spending much on infrastructure? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you might be interested in KWOK, a toolkit that enables you to create a cluster of thousands of nodes in seconds. KWOK stands for Kubernetes WithOut Kubelet. So far, it provides two tools: kwok kwok kwokctl kwokctl kwok KWOK has several advantages: Speed : You can create and delete clusters and nodes almost instantly, without waiting for boot or provisioning. Compatibility : KWOK works with any tools or clients that are compliant with Kubernetes APIs, such as kubectl, helm, kui, etc. Portability : KWOK has no specific hardware or software requirements. You can run it using pre-built images, once Docker or Nerdctl is installed. Alternatively, binaries are also available for all platforms and can be easily installed. Flexibility : You can configure different node types, labels, taints, capacities, conditions, etc. , and you can configure different pod behaviors, status, etc. to test different scenarios and edge cases. Performance : You can simulate thousands of nodes on your laptop without significant consumption of CPU or memory resources. KWOK can be used for various purposes: Learning : You can use KWOK to learn about Kubernetes concepts and features without worrying about resource waste or other consequences.