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# Kubernetes Engine: Qwik Start
## Overview
[Google Kubernetes Engine](https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine/) (GKE) provides a managed environment for deploying, managing, and scaling your containerized applications using Google infrastructure. The Kubernetes Engine environment consists of multiple machines (specifically [Compute Engine](https://cloud.google.com/compute) instances) grouped to form a [container cluster](https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine/docs/concepts/cluster-architecture). In this lab, you get hands-on practice with container creation and application deployment with GKE.
## Lab
### Set a default compute zone
Select [your zone](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/regions-zones/#available) wisely! Enter the following command to set your zone!
```
gcloud config set compute/zone asia-southeast1-a
```
### Creating a GKE Cluster
A [cluster](https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine/docs/concepts/cluster-architecture) consists of at least one **cluster master** machine and multiple worker machines called **nodes**. Nodes are [Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instances](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/) that run the Kubernetes processes necessary to make them part of the cluster.
Enter the following command to create a cluster.
```
gcloud container clusters create neeishere
```
### Get authentication credentials for the cluster
```
gcloud container clusters get-credentials [CLUSTER-NAME]
```
### Deploy an application to the cluster
Deploying a test application as shown below.
```
kubectl create deployment hello-server --image=gcr.io/google-samples/hello-app:1.0
```
Creating a Kubernetes Service which lets us expose our application to external traffic:
```
kubectl expose deployment hello-server --type=LoadBalancer --port 8080
```
* `--port` specifies the port that the container exposes.
* `type="LoadBalancer"` creates a Compute Engine load balancer for your container.
Inspect Service as shown below to get the public IP:
```
kubectl get service
```
### Deleting the cluster
```
gcloud container clusters delete neeishere
```
---
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