VMware VKS simplifies on-prem Kubernetes deployment but introduces vendor lock-in and integration friction at scale.

Operational Workflow for VKS Deployment

1. Prerequisites:

   • vSphere 7.0+ with compatible NSX/AVI integration.
   • Storage policies aligned with VMware’s recommended profiles.
   • Network segmentation for management, data, and edge traffic.

2. Deployment:

   • Use VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) for bundled lifecycle management.
   • Deploy via TKGS (Tanzu Kubernetes Grid for SDDC) for tighter vSphere integration.
   • Validate cluster creation via kubectl get nodes and vSphere UI.

3. Integration:

   • Configure NSX for network policies and CNI.
   • Set up Avi for external load balancing (if licensed).
   • Sync service accounts and RBAC between vSphere and Kubernetes.

4. Monitoring:

   • Use vRealize Operations for cluster health dashboards.
   • Deploy Prometheus/Grafana for application-layer metrics.

5. Maintenance:

   • Automate upgrades via VCF or manual tkg CLI updates.
   • Rotate certificates quarterly (watch for Avi/NSX expiration gaps).

Key Tradeoffs and Caveats

• Vendor Lock-In:

  • NSX and Avi dependencies limit portability. Migrating workloads off-VKM requires rearchitecting networking and ingress.
  • Example: Avi’s proprietary load-balancer config isn’t easily replaced with HAProxy or MetalLB.

• Extensibility Gaps:

  • Limited native support for open-source tools (e.g., OPA Gatekeeper, Harbor).
  • TMC (Tanzu Mission Control) adds management overhead without full GitOps parity.

• Scaling Complexity:

  • Multi-cluster management at scale requires custom scripting or third-party tools (e.g., Ansible).
  • vSphere API throttling can delay large-scale deployments.

Tooling and Integration

• Core Stack:

  • vSphere: Cluster orchestration and VM lifecycle.
  • NSX: Network policies, CNI, and firewall rules.
  • Avi (optional): External load balancing and SSL termination.
  • TMC: Centralized cluster management (limited to VMware-supported features).

• Observability:

  • vRealize Operations for infrastructure metrics.
  • Fluentd or LogDNA for log aggregation (NSX-T integration required).

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• API Sync Failures:

  • Check vSphere API health (vim-sdk) and NSX manager connectivity.
  • Common fix: Restart NSX Manager services or re-sync credentials in TKGS.

• Storage Policy Misconfigurations:

  • Validate storage classes with kubectl get storageclasses.
  • Ensure VMFS datastores are tagged correctly in vSphere.

• Network Latency:

  • Use tcpdump on NSX gateways to trace east-west traffic delays.
  • Upgrade NSX version if seeing known performance bugs (e.g., 3.13.x).

• Certificate Expiry:

  • Monitor Avi controller certs with openssl x509 -noout -dates.
  • Automate rotation via Avi’s REST API or Ansible playbooks.

Policy Example: Cluster Lifecycle Management

Policy:

• All clusters must use TKGS with vSphere templates for consistency.
• NSX network policies must mirror Kubernetes NetworkPolicy definitions.
• Avi pools must auto-scale based on node health checks.
• Upgrades occur during maintenance windows with rollback plans.

Validation:

• Audit with tkg cluster list --verbose and vSphere compliance reports.
• Test rollbacks by simulating failed upgrades in a staging environment.

Final Notes

VKS works for small teams needing a turnkey solution but struggles with enterprise-grade extensibility. For shops invested in VMware, it’s a viable starting point—but plan for lock-in and integration effort. Alternatives like RKE2 or Talos offer more flexibility but require deeper Kubernetes expertise.

Source thread: anyone have experience with vks (vmware k8s) on prem?