In my position as a Cloud Engineer, my team and I frequently utilize GCP and Kubernetes. I oversaw the deployment of a complex multi-tire web application on the GCP's Kubernetes Engine, providing me with invaluable experience in real-world cloud deployment scenarios.
Our application was designed with a microservice architecture, leading us to opt for Kubernetes for its excellent container orchestration capabilities. We containerized individual microservices using Docker and utilized Kubernetes to handle deployment, networking, and scaling. I particularly remember facing an issue related to persistent storage for one of our stateful microservices, which I tackled by utilising Persistent Volumes and Persistent Volume Claims.
The successful deployment on GCP has significantly increased operational efficiency and scalability. The auto-scaling feature of the Kubernetes Engine allowed for smooth handling of variable loads, and GCP’s built-in monitoring tools helped us streamline application performance tracking.