What is the purpose of container orchestration?

Container orchestration is essential for managing containerized applications across multiple clusters. In a containerized environment, applications are often deployed in isolated environments called containers, which need to be organized and controlled to run efficiently. Orchestration automates the deployment, scaling, and operation of application containers across clusters of hosts, ensuring that the right configurations are applied and that the containers are running as intended.

The ability to manage resources effectively, handle load balancing, automate updates, and maintain high availability is crucial in modern cloud-native applications. By orchestrating containers, teams can optimize their workflows, reduce downtime, and enhance the reliability of applications, all while simplifying complex operational tasks.

This role is distinct from monitoring hardware performance, which focuses on the underlying infrastructure rather than the containers themselves, and simplifying network connections, which addresses connectivity rather than orchestration. Likewise, backing up application data pertains to data management and recovery instead of the deployment and lifecycle management of containers. Thus, managing containerized applications across clusters encompasses the key functions and benefits of container orchestration.