What does Kubernetes, also known as K8s, manage?

Kubernetes, commonly referred to as K8s, is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications and microservices. Its primary function is to orchestrate and manage containers, which are lightweight, portable units that package an application and its dependencies, allowing it to run consistently across different computing environments.

By managing containerized applications, Kubernetes simplifies intricate processes involved in managing microservices, including load balancing, service discovery, scaling up or down based on demand, and ensuring high availability. The system abstracts the underlying infrastructure and enables developers to focus on application development rather than infrastructure details, providing features like self-healing (automatically restarting failed containers), rolling updates, and configuration management.

In contrast to the other options, Kubernetes does not manage virtual machines; instead, it runs atop existing infrastructure, including virtual machines. User identities and network resources may be part of a relational infrastructure managed by Kubernetes, but they are not the primary focus of what Kubernetes handles. Thus, its central function is centered around managing containerized applications and microservices effectively in a scalable and automated manner.