What is Knative?
Knative is an open-source serverless framework built on Kubernetes that automatically scales container workloads, including scale-to-zero. The framework consists of two main components: Knative Serving for request-based workloads and Knative Eventing for event-driven architectures.
Knative forms the technological foundation of Google Cloud Run. While Cloud Run is a fully managed serverless platform, Knative on GKE offers the same serverless patterns with full Kubernetes control.
Core Features
- Auto-scaling: Automatic scaling based on incoming requests, including scale-to-zero
- Knative Serving: Request-based container execution with traffic splitting and revisions
- Knative Eventing: Event-driven architecture with CloudEvents standard and event brokers
- Portability: Standardized APIs that run on any Kubernetes cluster
Typical Use Cases
Serverless on Existing Kubernetes
Teams with existing GKE clusters use Knative to introduce serverless patterns without operating a separate platform. Containers scale automatically and cost nothing when not in use.
Event-Driven Microservices
Knative Eventing enables loosely coupled microservice architectures where services communicate through events. The CloudEvents standard ensures interoperability.
Benefits
- Open source and portable across Kubernetes clusters
- Scale-to-zero saves costs for sporadic workloads
- No vendor lock-in through standardized APIs
- Seamless integration with GKE and the Google Cloud ecosystem
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with Knative: serverless application architecture on GKE, migration to Cloud Run, and event-driven design.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Knative?
Knative is an open-source serverless framework for Kubernetes that automatically scales container workloads, including scale-to-zero. It forms the foundation of Google Cloud Run.
What is the relationship between Knative and Cloud Run?
Cloud Run is built on the Knative API. Knative Serving on GKE provides full Kubernetes control, while Cloud Run is a fully managed variant.
When should I use Knative instead of Cloud Run?
Knative on GKE is suitable when you already use Kubernetes and want to introduce serverless patterns within your existing cluster. Cloud Run is the better choice when you don't want to manage Kubernetes infrastructure.
