Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) Study Guide

Chapter 3. CNCF and the New Era of Cloud Native

The KCNA exam covers not only Kubernetes topics but also other cloud native fundamentals. That includes the CNCF structure, which is related to how an open source community works, including its governance, project incubation processes, and individual contributions. We will cover all that in this chapter. As a KCNA candidate, this information is important to you because it is part of the scope of the exam questions, but it is also very relevant for your cloud native journey.

The Origins of CNCF

To set the stage for the new era of cloud native, let’s first examine the origins of CNCF. This nonprofit was created in 2015 to push for the use of cloud native computing and give cloud native technologies a place to call home. It was set up by companies like Google, Red Hat, and IBM because they saw the need for an organization to speed up the adoption of cloud native technologies and best practices.

From CNCF’s website:

The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure. We bring together the world’s top developers, end users, and vendors and run the largest open source developer conferences. CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation.

Currently, the Foundation is supported by companies and individual members who are committed to advancing the cloud native landscape. CNCF is governed by a board of directors and is overseen by the Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization ...