Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL607

Efficient Resource Allocation in Kubernetes

Using Machine Learning
Shankar Dheeraj Konidena

Abstract:- Kubernetes is a distinguished open-source applications market is projected to reach 17.0 billion USD
container orchestration system in cloud computing and by 2028, which was USD 5.9 billion in 2023. On par with
containerized applications. Google developed it, and the those numbers is the global Machine Learning (ML)
Cloud Native Computing Foundation now maintains it. market size, which was valued at $19.20 billion in 2022
Kubernetes offers a robust framework for automating and is expected to grow from $26.03 billion in 2023 to
application deployment scaling and management, $225.91 billion by 2030 (As per Fortune Business
revolutionizing how organizations use their containerized Insights). At the conjecture, both markets will take
workloads and providing huge flexibility and feasibility. innovation to a new level, offering more adaptive solutions
for contemporary cloud infrastructures.
The current paper explores the application of
machine learning algorithms to optimize resource Keywords:- Kubernetes, Machine Learning, Optimization,
allocation in Kubernetes environments. As the complexity Resource Allocation, Efficiency, ML Algorithms.
of cloud-native applications increases because of various
engagements, it is vital to maintain performance and cost- I. INTRODUCTION
effectiveness. This study also evaluates various machine
learning models and techniques and their relevancy in  Background of Kubernetes and Resource Allocation
areas such as anomaly detection and enhancing overall Kubernetes’ architecture comprises of one or more
cluster utilization. microservices, each having numerous pods (the smallest
deployment unit of computing resources for a containerized
Our findings include machine learning-driven application). Containers are deployable units of computing
methodologies that will significantly improve that encapsulate applications and their dependencies, sharing
performance utilizing historical data. Kubernetes's the same kernel while running independently. Multiple
decentralized nature requires a scalable structure for task containers co-exist in the same application pod managed as
scheduling to accommodate dynamic workloads the same entity (). The relationship between the allocated
conveniently. The AIMD algorithm, a celebrated method resources of a pod and the maximum incoming request rate
for congestion avoidance in network management, that a pod serves without violation of a certain QoS level is
inspires our approach. known as the Application Resource Profile. We define App
Deployment as the abstract way to refer to the network and
Computing clusters can be challenging to deploy and the computing resources of each resource profile. Then, each
manage due to their complexity. Monitoring systems App Deployment has different available resource limits for
collect large amounts of data, which is daunting to the deployed pods. In the context of Kubernetes, the resource
understand manually. Machine learning provides a viable limits are used to enforce the fact that the instantiated
solution to detect anomalies in a Kubernetes cluster. KAD containers of the pod will operate in predefined regions in
(Kubernetes et al.) is one such algorithm that can solve the terms of CPU and memory.
Cluster anomalies problem. Enormous Cloud native

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL607

Fig 1 Architecture of Kubernetes [3]

This research paper explores a promising solution to this the potential to make intelligent, dynamic decisions about
challenge: the integration of machine learning techniques resource allocation. Our study focuses on enhancing
with Kubernetes resource management. By leveraging efficiency and automation in resource allocation within
historical data and real-time metrics, machine learning offers Kubernetes environments.

Fig 2 Containers and Nodes in Kubernetes [3]

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL607

 Importance of Efficient Resource Allocation II. CHALLENGES

Resource allocation is a critical aspect of managing
Kubernetes clusters efficiently and effectively. It plays a  Challenges in Resource Allocation
pivotal role in ensuring optimal performance, cost- Kubernetes encounters several challenges in resource
effectiveness, and reliability of containerized applications. allocation, including the management of dynamic workloads,
Proper resource allocation enables organizations to maximize resource fragmentation, and the balance between
the utilization of their infrastructure, prevent resource overprovisioning and underutilization. The platform must
contention, and maintain consistent application performance. contend with complex application requirements in modern
By accurately assigning CPU, memory, and storage resources microservices architectures, as well as the efficient utilization
to containers and pods, administrators can avoid over- of heterogeneous hardware within clusters. Multi-tenancy
provisioning, which leads to wasted resources and increased scenarios introduce additional complexities in fair resource
costs, as well as under-provisioning, which can result in distribution and isolation. Stateful applications present
performance degradation and application failures. unique difficulties due to their specific resource needs and
Furthermore, intelligent resource allocation facilitates better placement constraints. Accurate resource estimation,
scaling practices, allowing applications to handle varying particularly for new applications, remains a significant
workloads seamlessly. It also contributes to improved cluster hurdle. The granularity of Kubernetes' scaling mechanisms at
stability, fair resource distribution in multi-tenant the pod level may sometimes align with optimal resource
environments, and more efficient capacity planning. As utilization. Furthermore, maintaining Quality of Service
Kubernetes environments grow in complexity and scale, the (QoS) while balancing resources between critical and non-
importance of sophisticated resource allocation strategies critical workloads poses ongoing challenges. These issues
becomes even more pronounced, driving the adoption of underscore the growing interest in advanced techniques such
advanced techniques like machine learning and AI-driven as machine learning to enhance Kubernetes resource
optimization to meet the challenges of modern, dynamic allocation, potentially offering more precise predictions,
cloud-native architectures. dynamic adjustments, and optimized decision-making in
complex environments.
 Background
III. TECHNICAL RESULTS
 Overview of Machine Learning Techniques
The basis of robust AI systems lies in the power of  Machine Learning Models in Resource Allocation for
Machine Learning Algorithms. Enabling systems to learn Kubernetes
from data, improve, and make predictions aid them in solving In the realm of Kubernetes resource allocation, a diverse
complex problems without explicit programming. From the array of machine learning models are being employed to
chatbots that streamline our interactions on Facebook to the address complex challenges. These include time series
personalized suggestions on Spotify and Netflix, ML forecasting models for predicting future resource needs,
technology is now almost everywhere around us(ML regression and classification models for performance metric
Techniques). analysis and workload categorization, and clustering models
for grouping similar workloads. Reinforcement learning is
ML Algorithms meticulously analyze information, utilized to develop adaptive scaling policies, while deep
recognize patterns, and provide meaningful predictions and learning models tackle complex pattern recognition in
classifications, empowering AI systems to improve and build resource usage data. Anomaly detection models identify
on the output, hence optimizing performance. They unusual usage patterns, and dimensionality reduction
encompass a broader concept, including methodologies, techniques simplify resource metric analysis. Ensemble
approaches, and practices. These refer to overall strategies methods combine multiple models for more robust decision-
and frameworks employed to solve problems using ML making, and multi-objective optimization models balance
algorithms. The ability to process, understand, and precisely competing allocation priorities. The selection of an
learn about the data provided to produce accurate results appropriate model depends on factors such as the specific
makes it a valuable tool for extracting insights for making allocation problem, data availability, computational
informed decisions in various applications. Algorithms, once resources, and the balance between interpretability and
trained, can be applied to new and unseen data. predictive power. As the field progresses, we can anticipate
the development of increasingly sophisticated and tailored
These applications of ML in Kubernetes resource ML models designed specifically to address the unique
management leverage various techniques, including challenges of Kubernetes resource allocation.
supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement
learning, and deep learning. The choice of specific algorithms  Machine Learning Algorithms in Kubernetes
depends on the particular resource allocation challenge being
addressed and the nature of the available data in the  AIMD Algorithm to Solve Dynamic Workload Problems:
Kubernetes environment. Researchers have proposed an innovative task
scheduling scheme based on the Additive Increase
Multiplicative Decrease (AIMD) algorithm, drawing
inspiration from its successful application in network
congestion management. To address the challenges posed by

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL607

dynamic workloads, they have incorporated a predictive This study compares the proposed Distributed Resource
mechanism that estimates the volume of incoming requests. Autoscaling (DRA) architecture with four alternative setups:
The team has further enhanced their approach by developing modified HPA (m-HPA), S-HPA, M-HPA, and L-HPA. The
a Machine Learning-based Application Profiling Model, m-HPA utilizes three resource profiles with load balancing,
which integrates theoretically computed service rates from while the others deploy single resource profiles. All setups
the AIMD algorithm with real-time performance metrics. use HPA, targeting 70% CPU utilization for scaling decisions.

This comprehensive solution demonstrates significant Evaluations were conducted against a 70-minute
improvements in resource utilization. Empirical studies workload from the Ferryhopper trace, with HPA instances
conducted by the researchers reveal an 8% reduction in CPU operating every second. Experiments were repeated ten times
core usage while maintaining Quality of Service (QoS) levels for each method, with results averaged. The CPU core
within acceptable parameters. This optimization represents a utilization for each method is illustrated in Figure 3. S-HPA,
notable advancement in balancing resource efficiency and M-HPA, and L-HPA utilized an average of 14.8, 14.6, and
service quality, particularly in environments characterized by 14.1 CPU cores, respectively. M-HPA and L-HPA
fluctuating workloads and diverse application demands. demonstrated minimal QoS violations at 0.2% and 0.9%,
respectively.

Fig 3 & 4: Total CPU Cores Utilized for each Method Followed by Results of all Five Experiments [2].

The proposed approach not only addresses current To maximize accuracy, KAD employs a form of
challenges in task scheduling but also establishes a ensemble learning, leveraging the strengths of each individual
foundation for future advancements in cloud resource model. A key feature of the system is its ability to undergo
management. By combining the strengths of traditional runtime reconfiguration, allowing for dynamic adjustments in
algorithms with modern machine learning techniques, the response to changing operational conditions.
researchers have developed a solution that is both
theoretically grounded and adaptable to the complex, Initial experiments have demonstrated the viability and
dynamic nature of contemporary computing environments. practical applicability of the researchers' concept. However,
Their work contributes to the ongoing efforts to improve these trials have also highlighted areas that warrant further
efficiency and performance in distributed computing systems. refinement and development. A notable limitation of the
current KAD implementation is its reliance on univariate
 Kubernetes Anomaly Detector for Resource Autoscaling: models, which restricts anomaly detection to a single metric
The researchers have developed and implemented a at any given time. The researchers acknowledge that
Kubernetes Anomaly Detector (KAD) system to evaluate introducing multivariate models would significantly enhance
their proposed concept. The current iteration of KAD the system's capability to address more complex scenarios,
incorporates four distinct models: Seasonal AutoRegressive potentially leading to more comprehensive and nuanced
Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), Hidden Markov anomaly detection in Kubernetes environments.
Model (HMM), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and
Autoencoder. This multi-model approach enhances the This work represents a promising step forward in the
system's adaptability to various scenarios, potentially field of anomaly detection for Kubernetes systems, while also
improving its overall performance. indicating clear pathways for future improvements and
expansions of the KAD system's capabilities.

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ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL607

Fig 5 & 6: KAD (Kubernetes et al., Results of SARIMA, LSTM, HMM, and Autoencoder Model Results) [1]

Fig 7 Simplified Architecture of KAD [1]

IV. IMPACTS proactive cloud infrastructure scaling, ensuring smooth

streaming for users while cutting costs. The ML systems
A. Real-World Implementations factor in various elements like time, location, new releases,
Leading tech companies are leveraging machine and external events to fine-tune resource allocation,
learning (ML) to transform infrastructure management and maintaining Netflix's market edge and operational efficiency.
optimize their operations:
 Pinterest's Reinforcement Learning for Batch Job
 Netflix's ML-Driven Infrastructure Optimization: Scheduling:
Netflix employs advanced ML algorithms to forecast Pinterest's Cluster Advisor utilizes reinforcement
and optimize auto-scaling requirements. These AI models learning to revolutionize infrastructure management. This AI
analyze viewer habits, streaming quality needs, and content system continuously evolves to optimize batch job scheduling
trends to predict resource demands accurately. This enables across expansive computing clusters. It examines past job

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ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL607

performance, current cluster states, and job importance to However, it is important to acknowledge that this
allocate resources and queue jobs intelligently. This ML- integration has its challenges. Organizations will need to
driven approach enhances cluster usage, speeds up job navigate complexities related to data management, model
completion, and minimizes conflicts. Cluster Advisor's training, and the orchestration of AI/ML workloads within
efficiency improves over time, significantly boosting Kubernetes environments. Security and compliance
Pinterest's data processing capabilities and infrastructure cost considerations will also play a crucial role as sensitive data
management. and critical AI models become integral parts of containerized
applications.
 Reddit's ML-Based Traffic Prediction for Capacity
Management: Fortunately, the industry is rapidly developing best
Reddit employs ML to predict traffic surges, practices and tools to address these challenges. Platforms like
demonstrating AI's potential in proactive capacity KuberMatic are emerging as enabling technologies,
management. By scrutinizing extensive historical data, providing organizations with the necessary frameworks and
including user behaviors, content popularity, and external abstractions to simplify the deployment and management of
factors, Reddit's ML models accurately forecast traffic AI/ML workloads on Kubernetes. These platforms are
increases. This allows Reddit to pre-emptively adjust server making the integration process more approachable, allowing
capacity and load balancing, ensuring platform stability businesses of all sizes to leverage the power of AI/ML in their
during unexpected viral events or breaking news. This containerized applications.
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