Desmond Gerber

Desmond Gerber

1668760827

How to Deploying A Node App To Google Cloud with Kubernetes

Let's look at how to deploy a Node/Express microservice (along with Postgres) to a Kubernetes cluster on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).

Dependencies:

  • Docker v20.10.10
  • Kubectl v1.20.8
  • Google Cloud SDK v365.0.1

This article assumes that you have basic working knowledge of Docker and an understanding of microservices in general. Review the Microservices with Docker, Flask, and React course bundle for more info.

Objectives

By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to:

  1. Explain what container orchestration is and why you may need to use an orchestration tool
  2. Discuss the pros and cons of using Kubernetes over other orchestration tools like Docker Swarm and AWS Elastic Container Service (ECS)
  3. Explain the following Kubernetes primitives: Node, Pod, Service, Label, Deployment, Ingress, and Volume
  4. Spin up a Node-based microservice locally with Docker Compose
  5. Configure a Kubernetes cluster to run on Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
  6. Set up a volume to hold Postgres data within a Kubernetes cluster
  7. Use Kubernetes Secrets to manage sensitive information
  8. Run Node and Postgres on Kubernetes
  9. Expose a Node API to external users via a Load Balancer

What is Container Orchestration?

As you move from deploying containers on a single machine to deploying them across a number of machines, you'll need an orchestration tool to manage (and automate) the arrangement, coordination, and availability of the containers across the entire system.

Orchestration tools help with:

  1. Cross-server container communication
  2. Horizontal scaling
  3. Service discovery
  4. Load balancing
  5. Security/TLS
  6. Zero-downtime deploys
  7. Rollbacks
  8. Logging
  9. Monitoring

This is where Kubernetes fits in along with a number of other orchestration tools, like Docker Swarm, ECS, Mesos, and Nomad.

Which one should you use?

  • use Kubernetes if you need to manage large, complex clusters
  • use Docker Swarm if you are just getting started and/or need to manage small to medium-sized clusters
  • use ECS if you're already using a number of AWS services
ToolProsCons
Kuberneteslarge community, flexible, most features, hipcomplex setup, high learning curve, hip
Docker Swarmeasy to set up, perfect for smaller clusterslimited by the Docker API
ECSfully-managed service, integrated with AWSvendor lock-in

There's also a number of managed Kubernetes services on the market:

  1. Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
  2. Elastic Container Service (EKS)
  3. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

For more, review the Choosing the Right Containerization and Cluster Management Tool blog post.

Kubernetes Concepts

Before diving in, let's look at some of the basic building blocks that you have to work with from the Kubernetes API:

  1. A Node is a worker machine provisioned to run Kubernetes. Each Node is managed by the Kubernetes master.
  2. A Pod is a logical, tightly-coupled group of application containers that run on a Node. Containers in a Pod are deployed together and share resources (like data volumes and network addresses). Multiple Pods can run on a single Node.
  3. A Service is a logical set of Pods that perform a similar function. It enables load balancing and service discovery. It's an abstraction layer over the Pods; Pods are meant to be ephemeral while services are much more persistent.
  4. Deployments are used to describe the desired state of Kubernetes. They dictate how Pods are created, deployed, and replicated.
  5. Labels are key/value pairs that are attached to resources (like Pods) which are used to organize related resources. You can think of them like CSS selectors. For example:
    • Environment - dev, test, prod
    • App version - beta, 1.2.1
    • Type - client, server, db
  6. Ingress is a set of routing rules used to control the external access to Services based on the request host or path.
  7. Volumes are used to persist data beyond the life of a container. They are especially important for stateful applications like Redis and Postgres.
    • A PersistentVolume defines a storage volume independent of the normal Pod-lifecycle. It's managed outside of the particular Pod that it resides in.
    • A PersistentVolumeClaim is a request to use the PersistentVolume by a user.

For more, review the Learn Kubernetes Basics tutorial.

Project Setup

Start by cloning down the app from the https://github.com/testdrivenio/node-kubernetes repo:

$ git clone https://github.com/testdrivenio/node-kubernetes
$ cd node-kubernetes

Build the image and spin up the container:

$ docker-compose up -d --build

Apply the migration and seed the database:

$ docker-compose exec web knex migrate:latest
$ docker-compose exec web knex seed:run

Test out the following endpoints...

Get all todos:

$ curl http://localhost:3000/todos

[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "title": "Do something",
    "completed": false
  },
  {
    "id": 2,
    "title": "Do something else",
    "completed": false
  }
]

Add a new todo:

$ curl -d '{"title":"something exciting", "completed":"false"}' \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST http://localhost:3000/todos

"Todo added!"

Get a single todo:

$ curl http://localhost:3000/todos/3

[
  {
    "id": 3,
    "title": "something exciting",
    "completed": false
  }
]

Update a todo:

$ curl -d '{"title":"something exciting", "completed":"true"}' \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X PUT http://localhost:3000/todos/3

"Todo updated!"

Delete a todo:

$ curl -X DELETE http://localhost:3000/todos/3

Take a quick look at the code before moving on:

├── .dockerignore
├── .gitignore
├── Dockerfile
├── README.md
├── docker-compose.yml
├── knexfile.js
├── kubernetes
│   ├── node-deployment-updated.yaml
│   ├── node-deployment.yaml
│   ├── node-service.yaml
│   ├── postgres-deployment.yaml
│   ├── postgres-service.yaml
│   ├── secret.yaml
│   ├── volume-claim.yaml
│   └── volume.yaml
├── package-lock.json
├── package.json
└── src
    ├── db
    │   ├── knex.js
    │   ├── migrations
    │   │   └── 20181009160908_todos.js
    │   └── seeds
    │       └── todos.js
    └── server.js

Google Cloud Setup

In this section, we'll-

  1. Configure the Google Cloud SDK.
  2. Install kubectl, a CLI tool used for running commands against Kubernetes clusters.
  3. Create a GCP project.

Before beginning, you'll need a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) account. If you're new to GCP, Google provides a free trial with a $300 credit.

Start by installing the Google Cloud SDK.

If you’re on a Mac, we recommend installing the SDK with Homebrew:

$ brew update $ brew install google-cloud-sdk --cask

Test:

$ gcloud --version

Google Cloud SDK 365.0.1
bq 2.0.71
core 2021.11.19
gsutil 5.5

Once installed, run gcloud init to configure the SDK so that it has access to your GCP credentials. You'll also need to either pick an existing GCP project or create a new project to work with.

Set the project:

$ gcloud config set project <PROJECT_ID>

Finally, install kubectl:

$ gcloud components install kubectl

Kubernetes Cluster

Next, let's create a cluster on Kubernetes Engine:

$ gcloud container clusters create node-kubernetes \
    --num-nodes=3 --zone us-central1-a --machine-type g1-small

This will create a three-node cluster called node-kubernetes in the us-central1-a region with g1-small machines. It will take a few minutes to spin up.

$ kubectl get nodes

NAME                                             STATUS   ROLES    AGE   VERSION
gke-node-kubernetes-default-pool-139e0343-0hbt   Ready    <none>   75s   v1.21.5-gke.1302
gke-node-kubernetes-default-pool-139e0343-p4s3   Ready    <none>   75s   v1.21.5-gke.1302
gke-node-kubernetes-default-pool-139e0343-rxnc   Ready    <none>   75s   v1.21.5-gke.1302

google cloud platform

Connect the kubectl client to the cluster:

$ gcloud container clusters get-credentials node-kubernetes --zone us-central1-a

Fetching cluster endpoint and auth data.
kubeconfig entry generated for node-kubernetes.

For help with Kubernetes Engine, please review the official docs.

Docker Registry

Using the gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/<IMAGE_NAME>:<TAG> Docker tag format, build and then push the local Docker image, for the Node API, to the Container Registry:

$ gcloud auth configure-docker
$ docker build -t gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/node-kubernetes:v0.0.1 .
$ docker push gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/node-kubernetes:v0.0.1

Be sure to replace <PROJECT_ID> with the ID of your project.

google cloud platform

Node Setup

With that, we can now run the image on a pod by creating a deployment.

kubernetes/node-deployment.yaml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: node
  labels:
    name: node
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: node
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: node
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: node
        image: gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/node-kubernetes:v0.0.1
        env:
        - name: NODE_ENV
          value: "development"
        - name: PORT
          value: "3000"
      restartPolicy: Always

Again, be sure to replace <PROJECT_ID> with the ID of your project.

What's happening here?

  1. metadata
    • The name field defines the deployment name - node
    • labels define the labels for the deployment - name: node
  2. spec
    • replicas define the number of pods to run - 1
    • selector specifies a label for the pods (must match .spec.template.metadata.labels)
    • template
      • metadata
        • labels indicate which labels should be assigned to the pod - app: node
      • spec
        • containers define the containers associated with each pod
        • restartPolicy defines the restart policy - Always

So, this will spin up a single pod named node via the gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/node-kubernetes:v0.0.1 image that we just pushed up.

Create:

$ kubectl create -f ./kubernetes/node-deployment.yaml

Verify:

$ kubectl get deployments

NAME   READY   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   AGE
node   1/1     1            1           32s

$ kubectl get pods

NAME                    READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
node-59646c8856-72blj   1/1     Running   0          18s

You can view the container logs via kubectl logs <POD_NAME>:

$ kubectl logs node-6fbfd984d-7pg92

> start
> nodemon src/server.js

[nodemon] 2.0.15
[nodemon] to restart at any time, enter `rs`
[nodemon] watching path(s): *.*
[nodemon] watching extensions: js,mjs,json
[nodemon] starting `node src/server.js`
Listening on port: 3000

You can also view these resources from the Google Cloud console:

google cloud platform

To access your API externally, let's create a load balancer via a service.

kubernetes/node-service.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: node
  labels:
    service: node
spec:
  selector:
    app: node
  type: LoadBalancer
  ports:
    - port: 3000

This will create a serviced called node, which will find any pods with the label node and expose the port to the outside world.

Create:

$ kubectl create -f ./kubernetes/node-service.yaml

This will create a new load balancer on Google Cloud:

google cloud platform

Grab the external IP:

$ kubectl get service node

NAME   TYPE           CLUSTER-IP     EXTERNAL-IP     PORT(S)          AGE
node   LoadBalancer   10.40.10.162   35.222.45.193   3000:31315/TCP   78s

Test it out:

  1. http://EXTERNAL_IP:3000
  2. http://EXTERNAL_IP:3000/todos

You should see "Something went wrong." when you hit the second endpoint since the database is not setup yet.

Secrets

Secrets are used to manage sensitive info such as passwords, API tokens, and SSH keys. We’ll utilize a secret to store our Postgres database credentials.

kubernetes/secret.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: postgres-credentials
type: Opaque
data:
  user: c2FtcGxl
  password: cGxlYXNlY2hhbmdlbWU=

The user and password fields are base64 encoded strings:

$ echo -n "pleasechangeme" | base64
cGxlYXNlY2hhbmdlbWU=

$ echo -n "sample" | base64
c2FtcGxl

Create the secret:

$ kubectl apply -f ./kubernetes/secret.yaml

Verify:

$ kubectl describe secret postgres-credentials

Name:         postgres-credentials
Namespace:    default
Labels:       <none>
Annotations:  <none>

Type:  Opaque

Data
====
password:  14 bytes
user:      6 bytes

google cloud platform

Volume

Since containers are ephemeral, we need to configure a volume, via a PersistentVolume and a PersistentVolumeClaim, to store the Postgres data outside of the pod. Without a volume, you will lose your data when the pod goes down.

Create a Persistent Disk:

$ gcloud compute disks create pg-data-disk --size 50GB --zone us-central1-a

google cloud platform

kubernetes/volume.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: postgres-pv
  labels:
    name: postgres-pv
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: 50Gi
  storageClassName: standard
  accessModes:
    - ReadWriteOnce
  gcePersistentDisk:
    pdName: pg-data-disk
    fsType: ext4

This configuration will create a 50 gibibytes PersistentVolume with an access mode of ReadWriteOnce, which means that the volume can be mounted as read-write by a single node.

Create the volume:

$ kubectl apply -f ./kubernetes/volume.yaml

Check the status:

$ kubectl get pv

NAME         CAPACITY  ACCESS MODES  RECLAIM POLICY  STATUS     CLAIM  STORAGECLASS  REASON  AGE
postgres-pv  50Gi      RWO           Retain          Available         standard              6s

google cloud platform

kubernetes/volume-claim.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: postgres-pvc
  labels:
    type: local
spec:
  accessModes:
    - ReadWriteOnce
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 50Gi
  volumeName: postgres-pv

This will create a claim on the PersistentVolume (which we just created) that the Postgres pod will be able to use to attach a volume to.

Create:

$ kubectl apply -f ./kubernetes/volume-claim.yaml

View:

$ kubectl get pvc

NAME           STATUS   VOLUME        CAPACITY   ACCESS MODES   STORAGECLASS   AGE
postgres-pvc   Bound    postgres-pv   50Gi       RWO            standard       6s

google cloud platform

Postgres Setup

With the database credentials set up along with a volume, we can now configure the Postgres database itself.

kubernetes/postgres-deployment.yaml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: postgres
  labels:
    name: database
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      service: postgres
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        service: postgres
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: postgres
        image: postgres:14-alpine
        volumeMounts:
        - name: postgres-volume-mount
          mountPath: /var/lib/postgresql/data
          subPath: postgres
        env:
        - name: POSTGRES_USER
          valueFrom:
            secretKeyRef:
              name: postgres-credentials
              key: user
        - name: POSTGRES_PASSWORD
          valueFrom:
            secretKeyRef:
              name: postgres-credentials
              key: password
      restartPolicy: Always
      volumes:
      - name: postgres-volume-mount
        persistentVolumeClaim:
          claimName: postgres-pvc

Here, along with spinning up a new pod via the postgres:14-alpine image, this config mounts the PersistentVolumeClaim from the volumes section to the "/var/lib/postgresql/data" directory defined in the volumeMounts section.

Review this Stack Overflow question for more info on why we included a subPath with the volume mount.

Create:

$ kubectl create -f ./kubernetes/postgres-deployment.yaml

Verify:

$ kubectl get pods

NAME                        READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
node-59646c8856-72blj       1/1     Running   0          20m
postgres-64d485d86b-vtrlh   1/1     Running   0          25s

google cloud platform

Create the todos database:

$ kubectl exec <POD_NAME> --stdin --tty -- createdb -U sample todos

kubernetes/postgres-service.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: postgres
  labels:
    service: postgres
spec:
  selector:
    service: postgres
  type: ClusterIP
  ports:
  - port: 5432

This will create a ClusterIP service so that other pods can connect to it. It won't be available externally, outside the cluster.

Create the service:

$ kubectl create -f ./kubernetes/postgres-service.yaml

google cloud platform

Update Node Deployment

Next, add the database credentials to the Node deployment:

kubernetes/node-deployment-updated.yaml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: node
  labels:
    name: node
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: node
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: node
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: node
        image: gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/node-kubernetes:v0.0.1 # update
        env:
        - name: NODE_ENV
          value: "development"
        - name: PORT
          value: "3000"
        - name: POSTGRES_USER
          valueFrom:
            secretKeyRef:
              name: postgres-credentials
              key: user
        - name: POSTGRES_PASSWORD
          valueFrom:
            secretKeyRef:
              name: postgres-credentials
              key: password
      restartPolicy: Always

Create:

$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/node-deployment.yaml
$ kubectl create -f ./kubernetes/node-deployment-updated.yaml

Verify:

$ kubectl get pods

NAME                        READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
node-64c45d449b-9m7pf       1/1     Running   0          9s
postgres-64d485d86b-vtrlh   1/1     Running   0          4m7s

Using the node pod, update the database:

$ kubectl exec <POD_NAME> knex migrate:latest
$ kubectl exec <POD_NAME> knex seed:run

Test it out again:

  1. http://EXTERNAL_IP:3000
  2. http://EXTERNAL_IP:3000/todos

You should now see the todos:

[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "title": "Do something",
    "completed": false
  },
  {
    "id": 2,
    "title": "Do something else",
    "completed": false
  }
]

Conclusion

In this post we looked at how to run a Node-based microservice on Kubernetes with GKE. You should now have a basic understanding of how Kubernetes works and be able to deploy a cluster with an app running on it to Google Cloud.

Be sure to bring down the resources (cluster, persistent disc, image on the container registry) when done to avoid incurring unnecessary charges:

$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/node-service.yaml
$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/node-deployment-updated.yaml

$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/secret.yaml

$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/volume-claim.yaml
$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/volume.yaml

$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/postgres-deployment.yaml
$ kubectl delete -f ./kubernetes/postgres-service.yaml

$ gcloud container clusters delete node-kubernetes --zone us-central1-a
$ gcloud compute disks delete pg-data-disk --zone us-central1-a
$ gcloud container images delete gcr.io/<PROJECT_ID>/node-kubernetes:v0.0.1

Additional Resources:

  1. Learn Kubernetes Basics
  2. Configuration Best Practices
  3. Running Flask on Kubernetes

You can find the code in the node-kubernetes repo on GitHub.

Original article source at: https://testdriven.io/

#node #kubernetes #google 

What is GEEK

Buddha Community

How to Deploying A Node App To Google Cloud with Kubernetes
Christa Stehr

Christa Stehr

1602964260

50+ Useful Kubernetes Tools for 2020 - Part 2

Introduction

Last year, we provided a list of Kubernetes tools that proved so popular we have decided to curate another list of some useful additions for working with the platform—among which are many tools that we personally use here at Caylent. Check out the original tools list here in case you missed it.

According to a recent survey done by Stackrox, the dominance Kubernetes enjoys in the market continues to be reinforced, with 86% of respondents using it for container orchestration.

(State of Kubernetes and Container Security, 2020)

And as you can see below, more and more companies are jumping into containerization for their apps. If you’re among them, here are some tools to aid you going forward as Kubernetes continues its rapid growth.

(State of Kubernetes and Container Security, 2020)

#blog #tools #amazon elastic kubernetes service #application security #aws kms #botkube #caylent #cli #container monitoring #container orchestration tools #container security #containers #continuous delivery #continuous deployment #continuous integration #contour #developers #development #developments #draft #eksctl #firewall #gcp #github #harbor #helm #helm charts #helm-2to3 #helm-aws-secret-plugin #helm-docs #helm-operator-get-started #helm-secrets #iam #json #k-rail #k3s #k3sup #k8s #keel.sh #keycloak #kiali #kiam #klum #knative #krew #ksniff #kube #kube-prod-runtime #kube-ps1 #kube-scan #kube-state-metrics #kube2iam #kubeapps #kubebuilder #kubeconfig #kubectl #kubectl-aws-secrets #kubefwd #kubernetes #kubernetes command line tool #kubernetes configuration #kubernetes deployment #kubernetes in development #kubernetes in production #kubernetes ingress #kubernetes interfaces #kubernetes monitoring #kubernetes networking #kubernetes observability #kubernetes plugins #kubernetes secrets #kubernetes security #kubernetes security best practices #kubernetes security vendors #kubernetes service discovery #kubernetic #kubesec #kubeterminal #kubeval #kudo #kuma #microsoft azure key vault #mozilla sops #octant #octarine #open source #palo alto kubernetes security #permission-manager #pgp #rafay #rakess #rancher #rook #secrets operations #serverless function #service mesh #shell-operator #snyk #snyk container #sonobuoy #strongdm #tcpdump #tenkai #testing #tigera #tilt #vert.x #wireshark #yaml

Adaline Kulas

Adaline Kulas

1594162500

Multi-cloud Spending: 8 Tips To Lower Cost

A multi-cloud approach is nothing but leveraging two or more cloud platforms for meeting the various business requirements of an enterprise. The multi-cloud IT environment incorporates different clouds from multiple vendors and negates the dependence on a single public cloud service provider. Thus enterprises can choose specific services from multiple public clouds and reap the benefits of each.

Given its affordability and agility, most enterprises opt for a multi-cloud approach in cloud computing now. A 2018 survey on the public cloud services market points out that 81% of the respondents use services from two or more providers. Subsequently, the cloud computing services market has reported incredible growth in recent times. The worldwide public cloud services market is all set to reach $500 billion in the next four years, according to IDC.

By choosing multi-cloud solutions strategically, enterprises can optimize the benefits of cloud computing and aim for some key competitive advantages. They can avoid the lengthy and cumbersome processes involved in buying, installing and testing high-priced systems. The IaaS and PaaS solutions have become a windfall for the enterprise’s budget as it does not incur huge up-front capital expenditure.

However, cost optimization is still a challenge while facilitating a multi-cloud environment and a large number of enterprises end up overpaying with or without realizing it. The below-mentioned tips would help you ensure the money is spent wisely on cloud computing services.

  • Deactivate underused or unattached resources

Most organizations tend to get wrong with simple things which turn out to be the root cause for needless spending and resource wastage. The first step to cost optimization in your cloud strategy is to identify underutilized resources that you have been paying for.

Enterprises often continue to pay for resources that have been purchased earlier but are no longer useful. Identifying such unused and unattached resources and deactivating it on a regular basis brings you one step closer to cost optimization. If needed, you can deploy automated cloud management tools that are largely helpful in providing the analytics needed to optimize the cloud spending and cut costs on an ongoing basis.

  • Figure out idle instances

Another key cost optimization strategy is to identify the idle computing instances and consolidate them into fewer instances. An idle computing instance may require a CPU utilization level of 1-5%, but you may be billed by the service provider for 100% for the same instance.

Every enterprise will have such non-production instances that constitute unnecessary storage space and lead to overpaying. Re-evaluating your resource allocations regularly and removing unnecessary storage may help you save money significantly. Resource allocation is not only a matter of CPU and memory but also it is linked to the storage, network, and various other factors.

  • Deploy monitoring mechanisms

The key to efficient cost reduction in cloud computing technology lies in proactive monitoring. A comprehensive view of the cloud usage helps enterprises to monitor and minimize unnecessary spending. You can make use of various mechanisms for monitoring computing demand.

For instance, you can use a heatmap to understand the highs and lows in computing visually. This heat map indicates the start and stop times which in turn lead to reduced costs. You can also deploy automated tools that help organizations to schedule instances to start and stop. By following a heatmap, you can understand whether it is safe to shut down servers on holidays or weekends.

#cloud computing services #all #hybrid cloud #cloud #multi-cloud strategy #cloud spend #multi-cloud spending #multi cloud adoption #why multi cloud #multi cloud trends #multi cloud companies #multi cloud research #multi cloud market

Rusty Shanahan

Rusty Shanahan

1597833840

Overview of Google Cloud Essentials Quest

If you looking to learn about Google Cloud in depth or in general with or without any prior knowledge in cloud computing, then you should definitely check this quest out, Link.

Google Could Essentials is an introductory level Quest which is useful to learn about the basic fundamentals of Google Cloud. From writing Cloud Shell commands and deploying my first virtual machine, to running applications on Kubernetes Engine or with load balancing, Google Cloud Essentials is a prime introduction to the platform’s basic features.

Let’s see what was the Quest Outline:

  1. A Tour of Qwiklabs and Google Cloud
  2. Creating a Virtual Machine
  3. Getting Started with Cloud Shell & gcloud
  4. Kubernetes Engine: Qwik Start
  5. Set Up Network and HTTP Load Balancers

A Tour of Qwiklabs and Google Cloud was the first hands-on lab which basically gives an overview about Google Cloud. There were few questions to answers that will check your understanding about the topic and the rest was about accessing Google cloud console, projects in cloud console, roles and permissions, Cloud Shell and so on.

**Creating a Virtual Machine **was the second lab to create virtual machine and also connect NGINX web server to it. Compute Engine lets one create virtual machine whose resources live in certain regions or zones. NGINX web server is used as load balancer. The job of a load balancer is to distribute workloads across multiple computing resources. Creating these two along with a question would mark the end of the second lab.

#google-cloud-essentials #google #google-cloud #google-cloud-platform #cloud-computing #cloud

Carmen Grimes

Carmen Grimes

1595491178

Best Electric Bikes and Scooters for Rental Business or Campus Facility

The electric scooter revolution has caught on super-fast taking many cities across the globe by storm. eScooters, a renovated version of old-school scooters now turned into electric vehicles are an environmentally friendly solution to current on-demand commute problems. They work on engines, like cars, enabling short traveling distances without hassle. The result is that these groundbreaking electric machines can now provide faster transport for less — cheaper than Uber and faster than Metro.

Since they are durable, fast, easy to operate and maintain, and are more convenient to park compared to four-wheelers, the eScooters trend has and continues to spike interest as a promising growth area. Several companies and universities are increasingly setting up shop to provide eScooter services realizing a would-be profitable business model and a ready customer base that is university students or residents in need of faster and cheap travel going about their business in school, town, and other surrounding areas.

Electric Scooters Trends and Statistics

In many countries including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, China, Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico and more, a growing number of eScooter users both locals and tourists can now be seen effortlessly passing lines of drivers stuck in the endless and unmoving traffic.

A recent report by McKinsey revealed that the E-Scooter industry will be worth― $200 billion to $300 billion in the United States, $100 billion to $150 billion in Europe, and $30 billion to $50 billion in China in 2030. The e-Scooter revenue model will also spike and is projected to rise by more than 20% amounting to approximately $5 billion.

And, with a necessity to move people away from high carbon prints, traffic and congestion issues brought about by car-centric transport systems in cities, more and more city planners are developing more bike/scooter lanes and adopting zero-emission plans. This is the force behind the booming electric scooter market and the numbers will only go higher and higher.

Companies that have taken advantage of the growing eScooter trend develop an appthat allows them to provide efficient eScooter services. Such an app enables them to be able to locate bike pick-up and drop points through fully integrated google maps.

List of Best Electric Bikes for Rental Business or Campus Facility 2020:

It’s clear that e scooters will increasingly become more common and the e-scooter business model will continue to grab the attention of manufacturers, investors, entrepreneurs. All this should go ahead with a quest to know what are some of the best electric bikes in the market especially for anyone who would want to get started in the electric bikes/scooters rental business.

We have done a comprehensive list of the best electric bikes! Each bike has been reviewed in depth and includes a full list of specs and a photo.

Billy eBike

mobile-best-electric-bikes-scooters https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/enkicycles/billy-were-redefining-joyrides

To start us off is the Billy eBike, a powerful go-anywhere urban electric bike that’s specially designed to offer an exciting ride like no other whether you want to ride to the grocery store, cafe, work or school. The Billy eBike comes in 4 color options – Billy Blue, Polished aluminium, Artic white, and Stealth black.

Price: $2490

Available countries

Available in the USA, Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia.This item ships from the USA. Buyers are therefore responsible for any taxes and/or customs duties incurred once it arrives in your country.

Features

  • Control – Ride with confidence with our ultra-wide BMX bars and a hyper-responsive twist throttle.
  • Stealth- Ride like a ninja with our Gates carbon drive that’s as smooth as butter and maintenance-free.
  • Drive – Ride further with our high torque fat bike motor, giving a better climbing performance.
  • Accelerate – Ride quicker with our 20-inch lightweight cutout rims for improved acceleration.
  • Customize – Ride your own way with 5 levels of power control. Each level determines power and speed.
  • Flickable – Ride harder with our BMX /MotoX inspired geometry and lightweight aluminum package

Specifications

  • Maximum speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
  • Range per charge: 41 miles (66 km)
  • Maximum Power: 500W
  • Motor type: Fat Bike Motor: Bafang RM G060.500.DC
  • Load capacity: 300lbs (136kg)
  • Battery type: 13.6Ah Samsung lithium-ion,
  • Battery capacity: On/off-bike charging available
  • Weight: w/o batt. 48.5lbs (22kg), w/ batt. 54lbs (24.5kg)
  • Front Suspension: Fully adjustable air shock, preload/compression damping /lockout
  • Rear Suspension: spring, preload adjustment
  • Built-in GPS

Why Should You Buy This?

  • Riding fun and excitement
  • Better climbing ability and faster acceleration.
  • Ride with confidence
  • Billy folds for convenient storage and transportation.
  • Shorty levers connect to disc brakes ensuring you stop on a dime
  • belt drives are maintenance-free and clean (no oil or lubrication needed)

**Who Should Ride Billy? **

Both new and experienced riders

**Where to Buy? **Local distributors or ships from the USA.

Genze 200 series e-Bike

genze-best-electric-bikes-scooters https://www.genze.com/fleet/

Featuring a sleek and lightweight aluminum frame design, the 200-Series ebike takes your riding experience to greater heights. Available in both black and white this ebike comes with a connected app, which allows you to plan activities, map distances and routes while also allowing connections with fellow riders.

Price: $2099.00

Available countries

The Genze 200 series e-Bike is available at GenZe retail locations across the U.S or online via GenZe.com website. Customers from outside the US can ship the product while incurring the relevant charges.

Features

  • 2 Frame Options
  • 2 Sizes
  • Integrated/Removable Battery
  • Throttle and Pedal Assist Ride Modes
  • Integrated LCD Display
  • Connected App
  • 24 month warranty
  • GPS navigation
  • Bluetooth connectivity

Specifications

  • Maximum speed: 20 mph with throttle
  • Range per charge: 15-18 miles w/ throttle and 30-50 miles w/ pedal assist
  • Charging time: 3.5 hours
  • Motor type: Brushless Rear Hub Motor
  • Gears: Microshift Thumb Shifter
  • Battery type: Removable Samsung 36V, 9.6AH Li-Ion battery pack
  • Battery capacity: 36V and 350 Wh
  • Weight: 46 pounds
  • Derailleur: 8-speed Shimano
  • Brakes: Dual classic
  • Wheels: 26 x 20 inches
  • Frame: 16, and 18 inches
  • Operating Mode: Analog mode 5 levels of Pedal Assist Thrott­le Mode

Norco from eBikestore

norco-best-electric-bikes-scooters https://ebikestore.com/shop/norco-vlt-s2/

The Norco VLT S2 is a front suspension e-Bike with solid components alongside the reliable Bosch Performance Line Power systems that offer precise pedal assistance during any riding situation.

Price: $2,699.00

Available countries

This item is available via the various Norco bikes international distributors.

Features

  • VLT aluminum frame- for stiffness and wheel security.
  • Bosch e-bike system – for their reliability and performance.
  • E-bike components – for added durability.
  • Hydraulic disc brakes – offer riders more stopping power for safety and control at higher speeds.
  • Practical design features – to add convenience and versatility.

Specifications

  • Maximum speed: KMC X9 9spd
  • Motor type: Bosch Active Line
  • Gears: Shimano Altus RD-M2000, SGS, 9 Speed
  • Battery type: Power Pack 400
  • Battery capacity: 396Wh
  • Suspension: SR Suntour suspension fork
  • Frame: Norco VLT, Aluminum, 12x142mm TA Dropouts

Bodo EV

bodo-best-electric-bikes-scootershttp://www.bodoevs.com/bodoev/products_show.asp?product_id=13

Manufactured by Bodo Vehicle Group Limited, the Bodo EV is specially designed for strong power and extraordinary long service to facilitate super amazing rides. The Bodo Vehicle Company is a striking top in electric vehicles brand field in China and across the globe. Their Bodo EV will no doubt provide your riders with high-level riding satisfaction owing to its high-quality design, strength, breaking stability and speed.

Price: $799

Available countries

This item ships from China with buyers bearing the shipping costs and other variables prior to delivery.

Features

  • Reliable
  • Environment friendly
  • Comfortable riding
  • Fashionable
  • Economical
  • Durable – long service life
  • Braking stability
  • LED lighting technology

Specifications

  • Maximum speed: 45km/h
  • Range per charge: 50km per person
  • Charging time: 8 hours
  • Maximum Power: 3000W
  • Motor type: Brushless DC Motor
  • Load capacity: 100kg
  • Battery type: Lead-acid battery
  • Battery capacity: 60V 20AH
  • Weight: w/o battery 47kg

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How to start an electric scooter facility/fleet in a university campus/IT park

Are you leading an organization that has a large campus, e.g., a large university? You are probably thinking of introducing an electric scooter/bicycle fleet on the campus, and why wouldn’t you?

Introducing micro-mobility in your campus with the help of such a fleet would help the people on the campus significantly. People would save money since they don’t need to use a car for a short distance. Your campus will see a drastic reduction in congestion, moreover, its carbon footprint will reduce.

Micro-mobility is relatively new though and you would need help. You would need to select an appropriate fleet of vehicles. The people on your campus would need to find electric scooters or electric bikes for commuting, and you need to provide a solution for this.

To be more specific, you need a short-term electric bike rental app. With such an app, you will be able to easily offer micro-mobility to the people on the campus. We at Devathon have built Autorent exactly for this.

What does Autorent do and how can it help you? How does it enable you to introduce micro-mobility on your campus? We explain these in this article, however, we will touch upon a few basics first.

Micro-mobility: What it is

micro-mobility

You are probably thinking about micro-mobility relatively recently, aren’t you? A few relevant insights about it could help you to better appreciate its importance.

Micro-mobility is a new trend in transportation, and it uses vehicles that are considerably smaller than cars. Electric scooters (e-scooters) and electric bikes (e-bikes) are the most popular forms of micro-mobility, however, there are also e-unicycles and e-skateboards.

You might have already seen e-scooters, which are kick scooters that come with a motor. Thanks to its motor, an e-scooter can achieve a speed of up to 20 km/h. On the other hand, e-bikes are popular in China and Japan, and they come with a motor, and you can reach a speed of 40 km/h.

You obviously can’t use these vehicles for very long commutes, however, what if you need to travel a short distance? Even if you have a reasonable public transport facility in the city, it might not cover the route you need to take. Take the example of a large university campus. Such a campus is often at a considerable distance from the central business district of the city where it’s located. While public transport facilities may serve the central business district, they wouldn’t serve this large campus. Currently, many people drive their cars even for short distances.

As you know, that brings its own set of challenges. Vehicular traffic adds significantly to pollution, moreover, finding a parking spot can be hard in crowded urban districts.

Well, you can reduce your carbon footprint if you use an electric car. However, electric cars are still new, and many countries are still building the necessary infrastructure for them. Your large campus might not have the necessary infrastructure for them either. Presently, electric cars don’t represent a viable option in most geographies.

As a result, you need to buy and maintain a car even if your commute is short. In addition to dealing with parking problems, you need to spend significantly on your car.

All of these factors have combined to make people sit up and think seriously about cars. Many people are now seriously considering whether a car is really the best option even if they have to commute only a short distance.

This is where micro-mobility enters the picture. When you commute a short distance regularly, e-scooters or e-bikes are viable options. You limit your carbon footprints and you cut costs!

Businesses have seen this shift in thinking, and e-scooter companies like Lime and Bird have entered this field in a big way. They let you rent e-scooters by the minute. On the other hand, start-ups like Jump and Lyft have entered the e-bike market.

Think of your campus now! The people there might need to travel short distances within the campus, and e-scooters can really help them.

How micro-mobility can benefit you

benefits-micromobility

What advantages can you get from micro-mobility? Let’s take a deeper look into this question.

Micro-mobility can offer several advantages to the people on your campus, e.g.:

  • Affordability: Shared e-scooters are cheaper than other mass transportation options. Remember that the people on your campus will use them on a shared basis, and they will pay for their short commutes only. Well, depending on your operating model, you might even let them use shared e-scooters or e-bikes for free!
  • Convenience: Users don’t need to worry about finding parking spots for shared e-scooters since these are small. They can easily travel from point A to point B on your campus with the help of these e-scooters.
  • Environmentally sustainable: Shared e-scooters reduce the carbon footprint, moreover, they decongest the roads. Statistics from the pilot programs in cities like Portland and Denver showimpressive gains around this key aspect.
  • Safety: This one’s obvious, isn’t it? When people on your campus use small e-scooters or e-bikes instead of cars, the problem of overspeeding will disappear. you will see fewer accidents.

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