Technology · Ebook

Akri: Exposing Edge Devices to Kubernetes

by Shriira Press

Akri is the CNCF project that exposes heterogeneous leaf devices (IP cameras, USB sensors, OPC UA servers, and more) as resources in a Kubernetes cluster — discovering edge devices, advertising each as a Kubernetes resource, and automatically deploying workloads to use them, handling the dynamic appearance and disappearance of devices. This free book teaches it from the ground up: the leaf device problem and what Akri is, edge devices and the device plugin framework, Akri's architecture (Agent, Controller, Discovery Handlers, CRDs), Configurations (declaring what to discover), Discovery Handlers (finding devices per protocol — ONVIF, udev, OPC UA), Instances (devices as resources), brokers (workloads that use devices), using devices in workloads (broker vs direct), custom discovery and extensibility (supporting any device), and using Akri in practice. Ten focused chapters with clear diagrams that make edge device orchestration concrete — discover the heterogeneous, dynamic leaf devices around you, expose them as requestable Kubernetes resources, and automate their use with brokers and services — completing the edge Kubernetes stack with a device layer (a device plugin for the edge).

Contents

1. 1Preface
2. 2Chapter 1 — What Akri Is
3. 3Chapter 2 — Edge Devices and the Device Plugin Framework
4. 4Chapter 3 — Akri Architecture
5. 5Chapter 4 — Configurations
6. 6Chapter 5 — Discovery Handlers
7. 7Chapter 6 — Instances
8. 8Chapter 7 — Brokers
9. 9Chapter 8 — Using Devices in Workloads
10. 10Chapter 9 — Custom Discovery and Extensibility
11. 11Chapter 10 — Akri in Practice