SAP Gardener Kubernetes Training
Master SAP Gardener in this 3-day hands-on training. Learn to provision and manage Kubernetes clusters at scale using Gardener’s architecture of seeds and shoots, configure extensions and operating systems, implement multi-cloud strategies, and operate production-grade Kubernetes landscapes with automated lifecycle management.
Training Details
Section titled “Training Details”| Duration | 3 days (24 hours) |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Delivery | In-person, Live online, Hybrid |
Who Is This For?
Section titled “Who Is This For?”- Platform engineers managing Kubernetes infrastructure at scale
- DevOps engineers operating multi-cloud Kubernetes clusters
- Architects evaluating Gardener for enterprise Kubernetes management
- Teams running Kubernetes on SAP BTP (Kyma runtime)
- Infrastructure engineers seeking managed Kubernetes alternatives
Learning Outcomes
Section titled “Learning Outcomes”After completing this training, you’ll be able to:
- Understand Gardener’s architecture (seeds, shoots, gardenlets)
- Provision and manage shoot clusters across cloud providers
- Configure worker pools, networking, and operating systems
- Implement Gardener extensions for custom infrastructure
- Manage cluster lifecycle including hibernation, updates, and migration
- Monitor and troubleshoot Gardener-managed clusters
Detailed Agenda
Section titled “Detailed Agenda”Day 1: Gardener Architecture and Cluster Provisioning
Section titled “Day 1: Gardener Architecture and Cluster Provisioning”Module 1: Gardener Overview
- What is Gardener and why it exists
- Architecture: Garden, Seed, and Shoot clusters
- Gardenlet and the extension framework
- Comparison with other managed Kubernetes (EKS, AKS, GKE)
- Hands-on: Explore a Gardener landscape and dashboard
Module 2: Shoot Cluster Provisioning
- Shoot manifest structure and configuration
- Cloud provider credentials (SecretBindings)
- Worker pool configuration (machine types, zones, autoscaling)
- Networking (Calico, Cilium) and DNS configuration
- Hands-on: Provision shoot clusters on AWS and Azure
Module 3: Cluster Configuration
- Kubernetes version management and updates
- Operating system choices (Garden Linux, Ubuntu, CoreOS)
- Audit logging and access restrictions
- OIDC and static token kubeconfig
- Hands-on: Configure cluster settings and access controls
Module 4: Gardener Dashboard and gardenctl
- Dashboard navigation and cluster management
- gardenctl CLI for operational tasks
- Targeting seeds and shoots
- SSH access to worker nodes
- Hands-on: Manage clusters with dashboard and gardenctl
Day 2: Multi-Cloud Operations and Extensions
Section titled “Day 2: Multi-Cloud Operations and Extensions”Module 5: Multi-Cloud Kubernetes
- Supported cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, OpenStack, Alicloud)
- Provider-specific configuration and limitations
- Cross-cloud networking strategies
- Workload portability considerations
- Hands-on: Deploy the same application across clouds
Module 6: Worker Pool Management
- Multiple worker pools per cluster
- Machine type selection and cost optimization
- Cluster autoscaler configuration
- Spot/preemptible instance integration
- Hands-on: Configure heterogeneous worker pools with autoscaling
Module 7: Gardener Extensions
- Extension architecture and lifecycle
- Operating system extensions
- Network extensions (Calico, Cilium)
- DNS and certificate extensions
- Hands-on: Configure extensions for a shoot cluster
Module 8: Cluster Lifecycle Management
- Cluster hibernation and wake-up
- Kubernetes version upgrades (minor and patch)
- Machine image updates and rolling updates
- Credential rotation
- Hands-on: Perform cluster upgrades and hibernation cycles
Day 3: Production Operations and Advanced Topics
Section titled “Day 3: Production Operations and Advanced Topics”Module 9: Monitoring and Observability
- Gardener monitoring stack (Prometheus, Grafana)
- Seed and shoot monitoring
- Alerting configuration
- Cluster health checks and conditions
- Hands-on: Set up monitoring and interpret Gardener alerts
Module 10: Troubleshooting
- Common cluster issues and diagnostics
- Shoot status and operation phases
- Seed capacity and scheduling
- Network and DNS troubleshooting
- Hands-on: Diagnose and resolve cluster provisioning failures
Module 11: Security and Compliance
- Network policies and pod security
- Secrets management in Gardener
- Compliance considerations (data residency, encryption)
- Gardener security best practices
- Hands-on: Implement security policies for shoot clusters
Module 12: Gardener at Scale
- Seed cluster capacity planning
- Multi-seed architectures
- Disaster recovery and backup strategies
- Integration with CI/CD for infrastructure
- Hands-on: Design a production Gardener landscape
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”- Kubernetes fundamentals (pods, deployments, services, namespaces)
- Basic understanding of cloud infrastructure (VPCs, subnets, VMs)
- Familiarity with kubectl and YAML
- Experience with at least one cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
Delivery Formats
Section titled “Delivery Formats”| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| In-Person | On-site at your company’s location, hands-on with direct interaction |
| Live Online | Interactive virtual sessions with screen sharing and real-time labs |
| Hybrid | Combination of on-site and remote sessions, flexible scheduling |
All formats include hands-on labs, course materials, and post-training support.