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Cloud vs. Bare Metal Kubernetes: Why I Run My Bitcoin Node on K3s

Cloud vs. Bare Metal Kubernetes: Why I Run My Bitcoin Node on K3s
Photo by Syed Hussaini / Unsplash

When deploying Kubernetes, the choice between cloud infrastructure and bare-metal or local servers can significantly impact performance, cost, and maintenance. While cloud solutions offer powerful, managed Kubernetes clusters, they’re not always ideal for projects with heavy hardware requirements. I’ve experienced this firsthand while running a Bitcoin node on K3s, where direct hardware access and efficient resource management proved far more cost-effective than cloud-based alternatives. For workloads like blockchain nodes, machine learning, or other compute-heavy applications, self-hosted Kubernetes—especially with lightweight distributions like K3s—can be the optimal solution. In this article, we’ll explore the advantages of each approach and how to use K3s for local deployments effectively.

Cloud Kubernetes: A Robust Option for Scalable, Non-Intensive Workloads

Cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure offer managed Kubernetes services that excel in scalability, automated updates, and integrated tools for monitoring and networking. These platforms are well-suited for applications where flexibility, global reach, and minimal maintenance overhead are top priorities. With cloud-hosted Kubernetes, you gain access to:

  • Scalability: The cloud allows you to add or remove resources as needed, accommodating varying traffic or workload demands without much configuration.
  • Reliability and Availability: Cloud providers ensure high uptime and offer built-in redundancy.
  • Integrated Tooling and Monitoring: Cloud-based Kubernetes comes with integrations for monitoring, logging, and security, saving configuration time and effort.
  • Resource Management for Lightweight Applications: For projects that are not hardware-intensive (e.g., simple web applications), cloud-based Kubernetes provides a cost-effective, low-maintenance option.

While cloud Kubernetes is convenient, it may not be cost-effective or performant for hardware-intensive applications, such as those that demand high I/O or processing power, like blockchain nodes or complex machine learning workloads.

Bare Metal and Self-Hosted Kubernetes: Performance and Cost Benefits

For hardware-demanding projects (blockchain nodes), running Kubernetes on bare-metal servers or even your own server setup often proves more effective and affordable. By deploying Kubernetes directly on hardware you own, you get better performance, direct access to resources, and cost savings. This setup provides:

  • Reduced I/O Latency: Access to bare-metal storage results in lower latency, particularly important for applications requiring fast disk access.
  • Cost Savings: Avoiding cloud provider fees for compute, storage, and ingress can result in significant cost reductions.
  • Full Resource Control: You have granular control over hardware allocation, resource prioritization, and disk management.
  • Direct Hardware Access: By bypassing virtualization, you maximize the efficiency of hardware-intensive applications.

However, running Kubernetes on bare metal can become little bit more complex. For this reason, many opt for a lightweight Kubernetes distribution like K3s.

Using K3s for Local Kubernetes: Lightweight, Efficient, and Powerful

K3s is a streamlined Kubernetes distribution optimized for lightweight deployments, making it ideal for local or bare-metal setups. By leveraging K3s, you can keep a low resource overhead while still benefiting from process isolation, routing, and network management. Here’s how to use K3s effectively in such setups:

Process Isolation and Network Management

K3s provides all the core features of Kubernetes, allowing you to isolate workloads into different containers and use Kubernetes services for routing and network management. This approach is ideal for environments where you want the orchestration benefits of Kubernetes without the heavy lifting of a full-scale deployment.

  • Lightweight Process Isolation: Even on a single server, K3s allows you to separate workloads efficiently, reducing potential conflicts and managing resource usage.
  • Efficient Networking: K3s offers built-in support for service routing and network policies. For home or small-scale setups, this can be particularly valuable for managing internal traffic between services, as well as providing secure exposure to the internet if needed.

Host Path for Direct Disk Access

For applications requiring fast disk I/O, such as blockchain nodes or data-heavy processes, using HostPath volumes with K3s gives direct access to the server’s storage. HostPath volumes map a folder on the host machine to a container, bypassing the need for persistent volumes managed by cloud providers. This allows you to use your storage more efficiently:

volumeMounts:
  - mountPath: /data
    name: bitcoin-data
volumes:
  - name: bitcoin-data
    hostPath:
      path: /mnt/data
      type: DirectoryOrCreate

Using HostPath with K3s offers the following advantages:

  • Improved I/O Performance: Direct disk access eliminates the latency added by cloud or network storage.
  • Data Persistence: HostPath ensures that container data persists across restarts, without needing additional storage management.
  • Easy Data Management: You can access data stored in HostPath volumes directly on the host machine, simplifying backup and restoration tasks.

When to Use Bare Metal and K3s Over Cloud Kubernetes

Here are some scenarios where bare metal combined with K3s might be the ideal solution:

  • Hardware-Intensive Applications: Workloads requiring high storage, memory, or processing power, like machine learning, blockchain, or video processing, benefit from direct access to hardware.
  • Cost-Sensitive Projects: Avoiding cloud storage and compute fees can significantly reduce expenses, especially for long-term, 24/7 workloads.
  • Self-Managed Infrastructures: If you’re comfortable managing your server setup, you gain full control over resources, updates, and network configurations without relying on cloud limitations.
  • Testing and Development Environments: K3s on bare metal is an excellent choice for staging environments that need to mirror production setups affordably.

Conclusion

Cloud-based Kubernetes offers powerful features and convenience for general-purpose, scalable applications, but for hardware-intensive projects, bare-metal Kubernetes with K3s is a cost-effective and performance-optimized solution. K3s keeps your Kubernetes setup lean, allowing process isolation, network routing, and efficient storage access without the resource overhead of a cloud setup.

Whether you’re running a resource-hungry application or looking for an affordable, high-performance deployment, K3s on bare metal provides the power and flexibility needed for efficient Kubernetes management on a self-hosted setup.