Running Kubernetes on bare metal (no hypervisor) delivers maximum performance for containerized workloads. Here is how to size your hardware.
Node Sizing
| Role | CPU | Memory | Storage | Server |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control Plane (3 nodes) | 4-8 cores | 16-32GB | 100GB SSD | 1U entry (R650, DL360) |
| Worker (general) | 16-32 cores | 64-256GB | 500GB NVMe + HDD | 2U (R750, DL380) |
| Worker (GPU) | 32+ cores | 256GB+ | NVMe | 4U GPU (XE9680) |
Network
Minimum 10GbE between nodes. 25GbE recommended for production. Calico/Cilium CNI for pod networking.
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