As cloud-native technology advances, the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2024 event promises insights and innovations at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data integration and community collaboration.

This year’s conference highlights a developer-centered shift and contributions from diverse participants. Marking the 10th anniversary of Kubernetes, the event celebrates its journey from an open-source experiment to an enterprise-ready platform.

“This is going to be the most exciting year because the platform of Kubernetes is becoming so mainstream — it’s also its 10^th anniversary,” John Furrier, managing director of theCUBE Research, said during a pre-interview analyst segment. “Kubernetes celebrates both the past and the future — it’s evolving [and] hardening and becoming the bedrock of cloud-native infrastructure as generative AI takes off.”

As cloud-native technology evolves, the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2024 event is set to deliver a cornucopia of insights and innovations. Join theCUBE for live event coverage, from Nov. 13-15, and don’t miss our analyst-led conversations that will provide firsthand insights from thought leaders at the forefront of enterprise computing and technology innovation. (* Disclosure below.)

Check out what’s in store for theCUBE’s coverage of the conference:

From concept to core: Kubernetes becomes essential for AI applications

Kubernetes has reached its “Linux moment,” becoming the backbone for large-scale distributed systems and AI-driven applications, according to theCUBE’s Savanah Peterson. This milestone reflects the platform’s maturity and wide adoption, with Kubernetes now playing a critical role in enterprise AI initiatives.

“I feel like the conversation has really spread out across the enterprise; it’s not just an open-source conversation,” Peterson said. “It’s not a project anymore. It’s a true platform that’s helping companies realize their containers.”

As enterprises look to harness the transformative power of AI and machine learning, Kubernetes has emerged as the backbone for deploying and scaling these advanced workloads. The platform’s adaptability and resilience have made it essential for platform engineering teams tasked with extending their infrastructure to support AI initiatives, according to Priyanka Sharma, executive director of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.

“Different enterprises of all kinds are excited by the possibilities of this technology, but how does it translate to user value, [to] business results?” she told theCUBE in a pre-event interview. “That’s where you need something that is strong, resilient, tried and tested … yet also flexible and adaptable, which feel like synonyms for Kubernetes.”

One of the challenges facing the ecosystem is the attention from patent trolls, a common issue for prominent open-source technologies, according to Sharma. The Kubernetes community is prepared to push back, gathering support to safeguard its open-source momentum and ensure a resilient foundation for the future.

“This KubeCon, you’ll hear a lot of conversation about how we are fighting patent trolls [and] how we have gathered together as a community because no one can stop us when we do that,” Sharma said. “We’re doing prior art contests, [and] we are working with some specialists in the space, and the goal is to show these people we’re too strong to be intimidated, so go elsewhere or … stop working [and] do something else with your life.”

Kubernetes role supporting AI workloads

Kubernetes continues to play a transformative role in supporting AI workloads, especially for enterprises prioritizing data protection, according to Tobi Knaup, vice president and general manager of cloud native at Nutanix Inc. KubeCon is “really the biggest event in our industry” and a vital space for the Kubernetes and cloud-native communities to connect and share innovations, Knaup told theCUBE.

“The AI hype has created a lot of pressure to innovate for a lot of organizations,” Knaup said. “They need to figure out how do I put this in my environments. What’s really important for AI is the data … the better data you have, the more data you have the more results.”

As part of Nutanix’s commitment to simplifying Kubernetes for enterprise users, the company has focused on streamlining user experience and automating processes to ease the complexities of deployment. The need for centralized management over decentralized DevOps practices is crucial, according to Knaup, who explained that Nutanix’s approach allows companies to maximize Kubernetes’ potential by operating as a cohesive platform.

At KubeCon, Nutanix plans to showcase its Kubernetes platform with a focus on instant platform engineering, enabling faster, more efficient workflows for developers and DevOps teams.

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Tobi Knaup:

Building belonging: From seasoned pros to future coders

KubeCon is designed to be an inclusive space, welcoming both newcomers and seasoned professionals in the cloud-native technology space, with an expected attendance of over 10,000, according to Sharma. The event offers a variety of sessions tailored for all experience levels, allowing attendees to “choose their own adventure.” With tracks covering topics from AI and machine learning to observability, KubeCon aims to ensure there’s something for everyone.

“If you’re really deep into cloud-native, and you’re like, ‘I just want the 401, the college-level class,’ or if you want to start afresh with things and get your hands dirty, we have some amazing tutorials,” Sharma said. “There’s also going to be a lot of information available about the certifications related to the cloud-native ecosystem. For any newcomer, I think they are essential as you make your way in this industry.”

In line with fostering diversity, KubeCon hosts various working groups that encourage all community members to connect and contribute. Groups such as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and the newly formed Black, Indigenous and People of Color groups reflect efforts to support underrepresented groups within Kubernetes. These groups offer newcomers a chance to build lasting connections, which supports sustained engagement, according to Sharma.

“Some of the folks involved with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing group have also started a new group called the BIPOC group, and this is for a different kind of underrepresented folks,” she explained. “They’ve just started having meetings [and] putting collateral out there, and I’m noticing a buzz similar to what happened with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing group. These groups are how they find their cohorts — they’re pals — and they stick around. That’s been really nice.”

KubeCon’s inclusivity extends to ‘Kids Day,’ which introduces children to cloud-native technology through activities such as Scratch programming. This program, pioneered by Arun Gupta, chair of the CNCF governing board, aims to inspire future tech enthusiasts.

“[Arun said], ‘Why don’t we start them young?’ And it impacts so many different ways,” Sharma said. “A big priority for Kids Day is to support underrepresented children in the local region [where] we’re going. This is our way of giving back to the community that we are going to be joining for a week.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Priyanka Sharma:

A look into the future of Kubernetes and cloud-native technology

Day one of the event, known as the ‘The Kubernetes and AI Day,’ is set to be packed, said theCUBE Research’s Rob Strechay in a pre-event interview with Simon Seagrave, senior principal product marketing manager at Red Hat Inc.’s OpenShift. Companies doing AI on Kubernetes need data, and organizations such as Red Hat are stepping up.

“One of the big things that none of us can miss this year is around AI,” Seagrave said. “We at Red Hat are obviously doing a lot at the moment around … OpenShift for AI, [such as] the introduction of Red Hat Lightspeed … as a virtual assist.”

KubeCon offers a platform for attendees to look ahead at the emerging trends and innovations in Kubernetes and cloud-native technology, according to Sharma. By showcasing advances in tooling and operational practices, the event provides unique opportunities to explore upcoming developments that will shape the industry’s future.

“What we discovered was that prioritizing a certain set of talks in a certain category every day on the keynote stage helped guide a lot of programming,” she said. “The first day being platform engineering and [how] AI platforms have helped us, [then] bringing in keynotes that are relevant to that, and I think it’ll be really interesting programming for everyone because it also shows how cloud-native is powering AI even from a human perspective.”

Another area of focus includes the increasing role of security tools designed explicitly for Kubernetes environments. As threats become more sophisticated, organizations need security solutions capable of addressing the nuances of containerized workloads and microservices, according to Sharma.

“We know security just keeps getting more and more important as it gets harder and harder,” she said. “That’s the situation we find ourselves in, so we need a day focused on that … so we can get all our energy together, really absorb and then hopefully gain the most out of KubeCon on that topic.”

Another anticipated highlight at KubeCon involves improvements in platform engineering that aim to ease the deployment and management of Kubernetes in large-scale environments. Many attendees are particularly interested in operational enhancements that will support enterprise scalability while minimizing downtime, according to Sharma.

“I also am very impressed by just how fast this community iterates and wants to innovate, and that’s represented in all these working groups that have spun up or evolved to focus on AI [and] ML workloads,” she said.

Attendees can expect exciting demos, enlightening discussions, new announcements and fun-filled activities at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America. Follow theCUBE’s event coverage for exclusive interviews and incisive analysis.

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Simon Seagrave:

TheCUBE event livestream

Don’t miss theCUBE’s coverage of the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2024 event from Nov. 13-15. Plus, you can watch theCUBE’s event coverage on-demand after the live event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch theCUBE’s coverage of the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA event, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

SiliconANGLE also has analyst deep dives in our Breaking Analysis podcast, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify.

Guests

During the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA event, theCUBE analysts will speak with industry experts about how the education and evolution of cloud-native computing.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA. Neither Red Hat, the headline sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Image: SiliconANGLE