Day 1: Introduction to the CNCF and Its Landscape
What Is the CNCF?
The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) is an open-source organization that’s part of the Linux Foundation. Its mission? To promote cloud-native technologies that make applications scalable, resilient, and portable.
The CNCF is home to some of the most popular technologies in the world, including:
- Kubernetes: The backbone of modern container orchestration.
- Prometheus: A leading solution for monitoring and observability.
- Envoy: A powerful service proxy for microservices.
In short, the CNCF drives innovation in the cloud-native space, providing the building blocks for Platform Engineers to create amazing platforms.
What Is the CNCF Landscape?
The CNCF Landscape is like a map of cloud-native technologies, designed to help you navigate this vast ecosystem. It organizes hundreds of tools, projects, and companies into easy-to-understand categories.
You can check it out here: CNCF Landscape.
How Is It Organized?
The Landscape is divided into categories based on the purpose of the tools. Here are the most relevant ones for a Platform Engineer:
-
Orchestration and Containers
Examples: Kubernetes, Docker
These tools manage your applications’ deployment, scaling, and operation.
-
Provisioning Infrastructure
Examples: Terraform, Pulumi
Automate and define your infrastructure as code.
-
CI/CD
Examples: ArgoCD, Tekton
Streamline software delivery pipelines.
- Observability and Monitoring
Examples: Prometheus, Grafana
Track, monitor, and troubleshoot your systems in real time.
- Networking and Service Mesh
Examples: Istio, Linkerd Manage traffic between microservices efficiently.
- Security and Governance
Examples: Trivy, Open Policy Agent (OPA)
Ensure your platform is secure and compliant.
Why Does the CNCF Landscape Matter?
As a Platform Engineer, you’ll often need to select the right tools for the job. The CNCF Landscape:
- Saves you time by organizing tools based on their purpose.
- Keeps you informed about mature projects versus experimental ones (e.g., sandbox, incubating, or graduated projects).
- Gives you options: There’s no “one-size-fits-all” tool in the cloud-native world, so it’s important to explore alternatives.
How Does This Fit Into Platform Engineering?
Platform Engineers use the CNCF Landscape to build Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs). These platforms integrate tools from the Landscape to:
- Automate repetitive tasks.
- Provide developers with self-service capabilities.
- Reduce complexity while maintaining flexibility.
For example:
- Use Kubernetes for orchestrating your apps.
- Implement Prometheus to monitor their performance.
- Integrate ArgoCD to automate deployments.
The Landscape is like your toolbox—everything you need is there; you just need to pick the right tools for your specific requirements.
Activity for Today
Let’s put this into practice with a quick activity:
- Visit the CNCF Landscape: landscape.cncf.io.
- Explore the following categories:
- Orchestration and Containers
- CI/CD
- Observability and Monitoring
- Choose one tool from each category and answer these questions:
- What problem does this tool solve?
- How might you use it in a platform?
Bonus: Share your findings on social media using the hashtag #ZeroToPlatformEngineer!
Conclusion
The CNCF and its Landscape are your ultimate guide to the cloud-native ecosystem. As a Platform Engineer, understanding how these tools fit together is the first step toward building platforms that developers love.
Tomorrow, we’ll dive deeper into containers and Docker, the foundation of modern cloud-native technologies. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and start building!
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This post is just the beginning. Here’s what we’ve covered so far and what’s coming up next:
- Day 0: Introduction – What’s Platform Engineering? Ready to understand the big picture? Start with the basics and set the stage for the journey ahead.
- Day 1: Introduction to the CNCF Landscape (You are here!) Learn how the CNCF Landscape can guide you in navigating the cloud-native world.
👉 Bookmark this blog and check back every day for new posts in the series. 📣 Share your progress on social media with the hashtag #ZeroToPlatformEngineer to connect with other readers!