Cluster

A cluster is a group of servers running a system together – scalable, fault-tolerant, and flexible.

For developers: it's infrastructure.
For operations teams: a safety architecture.
For businesses: the foundation of reliable, modern IT.
And for us: the backbone of many client solutions.

What exactly is a cluster?​

A cluster consists of multiple physically or virtually separate machines (“nodes”) working together to:

• Provide applications
• Store data
• Scale and secure services

Depending on the purpose, a cluster may consist of two or hundreds of nodes – on-prem, in the cloud, or hybrid.

Why are clusters so important?​

Modern applications require:

• Scalability – more resources with more load
• Redundancy – no single point of failure
• Availability – services stay online even if components fail

A well-built cluster enables:

• Rolling updates without downtime
• Self-healing in case of failures
• Load balancing across nodes

A cluster doesn't replace operations – but it makes them more robust, secure, and agile.

Common cluster technologies​

• Kubernetes – for container orchestration and modern apps
• Proxmox / VMware – for virtual machines & private clouds
• Ceph – for distributed storage
• High availability setups – with load balancers, fencing, and replication

Clusters aren’t plug-and-play – they need to be designed, built, and operated properly.

How we work with clusters at RiKuWe​

We operate cluster setups for scalable, business-critical systems:

• Kubernetes clustersKubernetes is a system for managing containerized applications – automated, scalable, and fault-tolerant. Learn more → for microservices & DevOps infrastructure
• VM clustersVirtual machines simulate full computer environments – with their own operating system, kernel, and resources. Learn more → for traditional workloads with high availability requirements
• Monitoring, backups, and alerting included
• Security concepts like RBAC, network policies, and isolation are standard

Whether 2 nodes or 20 – we make sure your cluster not only runs, but delivers.

Cluster operations with RiKuWe: running Kubernetes & co. safely​

From the first pod to highly available infrastructure — we operate your cluster environment dependably:

• Kubernetes clusters as a managed service
  Operations, updates, security, and monitoring — we look after your Kubernetes cluster, in the cloud or on-premises.

• Kubernetes applications as a service
  We operate your applications inside the cluster — including configuration, updates, monitoring, and backups.

• Monitoring for clusters & workloads
  Prometheus, Loki, Alertmanager, and Alloy — full transparency and alerting across your cluster components.

• Velero: backups for Kubernetes volumes
  Automated volume backups for StatefulSets and persistent volumes — encrypted, versioned, testable.

• Access & networking: WireGuard & DNS
  Secure cluster access via VPN and internal name resolution — fully integrated.

Frequently Asked Questions​