Deploying Docker Containers to Kubernetes on DigitalOcean

Deploying Docker containers to Kubernetes on DigitalOcean is a great way to learn about Kubernetes while keeping costs low

DigitalOcean offers a managed Kubernetes service (DOKS) that is beginner-friendly and cost-effective. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you deploy your three containers (SuiteCRM, n8n, and Supabase) on a DigitalOcean Kubernetes cluster.

Step 1: Set Up a DigitalOcean Kubernetes Cluster

1. Create a DigitalOcean Account (if you don’t have one):
   • Sign up at DigitalOcean.
   • Use the free $200 credit for new users (if available) to keep costs low.
2. Create a Kubernetes Cluster:
   • Go to the Kubernetes section in the DigitalOcean dashboard.
   • Click Create Cluster.
   • Choose the cheapest node size (e.g., the $6/month node with 1 vCPU and 2GB RAM).
   • Start with 1 node to keep costs low. You can scale up later if needed.
   • Give your cluster a name and click Create Cluster.
3. Download the kubeconfig File:
   • Once the cluster is ready, download the kubeconfig file to your local machine.
   • Set the KUBECONFIG environment variable to point to this file:

     export KUBECONFIG=~/path/to/kubeconfig.yaml

   • Verify access to the cluster:

     kubectl get nodes

Step 2: Containerize Your Applications

Since you’re already familiar with Docker, you likely have Docker images for SuiteCRM, n8n, and Supabase. If not:

1. Create Docker Images:
   • Write Dockerfiles for each application.
   • Build and push the images to a container registry (e.g., Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, or DigitalOcean Container Registry).
2. Use Pre-Built Images (if available):
   • SuiteCRM: Use the official Docker image (bitnami/suitecrm).
   • n8n: Use the official Docker image (n8nio/n8n).
   • Supabase: Use the official Docker image (supabase/supabase).

Step 3: Deploy Applications to Kubernetes

1. Create Kubernetes Manifests:
   • Write Kubernetes YAML files for each application (Deployment, Service, ConfigMap, etc.).
   • Example for n8n:

     
     apiVersion: apps/v1
     kind: Deployment
     metadata:
       name: n8n
     spec:
       replicas: 1
       selector:
         matchLabels:
           app: n8n
       template:
         metadata:
           labels:
             app: n8n
         spec:
           containers:
             - name: n8n
               image: n8nio/n8n
               ports:
                 - containerPort: 5678
               env:
                 - name: N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE
                   value: "true"
                 - name: N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER
                   value: "admin"
                 - name: N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD
                   value: "password"
     ---
     apiVersion: v1
     kind: Service
     metadata:
       name: n8n
     spec:
       selector:
         app: n8n
       ports:
         - protocol: TCP
           port: 80
           targetPort: 5678
       type: LoadBalancer
                         

   • Repeat similar steps for SuiteCRM and Supabase.
2. Apply the Manifests:
   • Deploy the applications using kubectl:

     
     kubectl apply -f n8n-deployment.yaml
     kubectl apply -f suitecrm-deployment.yaml
     kubectl apply -f supabase-deployment.yaml
                         

3. Expose Applications:
   • Use LoadBalancer Services to expose your applications to the internet.
   • DigitalOcean will automatically provision a load balancer for each Service, but this will incur additional costs (~$10/month per load balancer).
   • To save costs, consider using ClusterIP Services and accessing your applications via kubectl port-forward.

Step 4: Persist Data

1. Use DigitalOcean Block Storage:
   • Create PersistentVolumeClaims (PVCs) for each application to store data.
   • Example PVC:

     
     apiVersion: v1
     kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
     metadata:
       name: n8n-data
     spec:
       accessModes:
         - ReadWriteOnce
       resources:
         requests:
           storage: 10Gi
                         

2. Mount Volumes in Your Deployments:
   • Update your Deployment manifests to mount the PVCs.

Step 5: Monitor and Optimize Costs

1. Monitor Resource Usage:
   • Use kubectl top to monitor CPU and memory usage.
   • Adjust resource requests and limits in your manifests to avoid over-provisioning.
2. Scale Down When Not in Use:
   • Delete or scale down deployments when not in use to save costs.
3. Use Spot Instances:
   • DigitalOcean offers cheaper “Spot” nodes for non-critical workloads.

Step 6: Clean Up

• Delete the cluster when you’re done to avoid unnecessary charges.

Estimated Costs

• Kubernetes Node: $6/month (1 node).
• Load Balancers: $10/month each (optional, depending on how you expose your apps).
• Block Storage: $0.10/GB/month.

Total: ~$16–$36/month (depending on load balancers and storage usage).

This setup should give you a good hands-on experience with Kubernetes while keeping costs low.

Further reading: Let’s break down the relationship between Docker and Kubernetes, and how they can be used together on a platform like DigitalOcean. Read more

#Kubernetes #Docker #DigitalOcean #CloudComputing #DevOps #Containerization #SuiteCRM #n8n #Supabase #ManagedKubernetes #DOKS #CloudInfrastructure #CostOptimization #LoadBalancers #PersistentStorage #KubernetesTutorial #KubernetesForBeginners #CloudTips #TechTutorial #SpotInstances