Apache Cassandra Deployment Guide for AWS and Kubernetes - 2025 Edition

🚀 What’s New in This 2025 Update

Major Changes Since 2017

• Cassandra 5.0 - ACID transactions, cost-based query optimizer, vector search for AI workloads
• Cloud-Native Deployment - 85% of users now deploy on cloud with Kubernetes operators
• Modern AWS Instances - Graviton (r6g), Im4gn series for better price/performance
• Container Orchestration - Kubernetes operators (Cass Operator, K8ssandra) for automated management
• Advanced Security - Encryption, RBAC, IAM integration, TLS automation
• Modern Observability - Prometheus/Grafana integration with automated alerting

Key Improvements

• ✅ Better Performance - 50% improvement with modern instance types and storage
• ✅ Enhanced Security - Zero-trust architecture with comprehensive encryption
• ✅ Automated Operations - Kubernetes operators handle scaling, upgrades, and repairs
• ✅ AI-Ready - Vector search and machine learning workload support

Modern Cassandra Architecture Overview

Apache Cassandra 5.0 represents a significant evolution in distributed database technology, now supporting ACID transactions, advanced query optimization, and AI workloads. Modern deployments emphasize cloud-native patterns, containerization, and automated operations.

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Kubernetes StatefulSet Modern Patterns - 2025 Edition

🚀 What’s New in This 2025 Update

Major Changes Since 2020

• ZooKeeper Deprecated - KRaft, etcd, and Consul are modern alternatives
• Operator Patterns - Automated lifecycle management for complex stateful apps
• CSI Drivers - Advanced storage operations, snapshots, and backup integration
• PVC Cleanup - Automated volume management for StatefulSets
• Security Enhanced - RBAC, network policies, and secret management
• Cloud-Native Ready - Mature operators for Redis, PostgreSQL, MongoDB

Key Improvements

• ✅ Better Performance - Improved memory management and resource optimization
• ✅ Enhanced Security - Encryption, RBAC, and least privilege patterns
• ✅ Automated Operations - Operators handle complex lifecycle management
• ✅ Modern Storage - CSI drivers with snapshot and backup capabilities

Modern StatefulSet Patterns

StatefulSets remain the foundation for running stateful applications in Kubernetes. However, the ecosystem has evolved significantly with better tooling, operators, and modern alternatives to legacy technologies like ZooKeeper.

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Set up Kubernetes on Mac 2025: Modern Local Development

🚀 What’s New in This 2025 Update

Major Changes Since 2019

• Minikube Alternatives - Kind, k3s, and Rancher Desktop now preferred
• Helm 3 - No more Tiller, improved security and simplicity
• Containerd Runtime - Docker deprecated, containerd is standard
• Apple Silicon Native - Full M1/M2/M3 support across all tools
• Enhanced Security - Built-in security scanning and policies
• Better Resource Management - Improved performance on macOS

Quick Comparison

• ✅ Kind - Best for CI/CD and multi-node testing
• ✅ k3s - Lightest weight, perfect for edge cases
• ✅ Rancher Desktop - Best GUI experience
• ✅ Docker Desktop - Easiest setup, higher resource usage

Modern Kubernetes Setup on macOS 2025

Setting up Kubernetes for local development has evolved significantly. This guide covers the best practices and tools for productive K8s development on macOS, including full Apple Silicon support.

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kubectl Cheat Sheet 2025 - Modern Kubernetes Commands

🚀 What’s New in This 2025 Update

Major Changes Since 2019

• Kubernetes 1.33 - Latest stable version with enhanced features
• Containerd Default - Docker runtime deprecated, containerd is standard
• kubectl convert - Plugin for API version migrations
• Enhanced Security - Checksum validation and GPG verification required
• Cloud Integration - Native support for EKS, GKE, AKS workflows
• GitOps Ready - Declarative management best practices

Key Improvements

• ✅ Better Performance - Faster command execution and API responses
• ✅ Enhanced Debugging - Improved error messages and troubleshooting
• ✅ Modern Shell Support - Updated completion for latest shells
• ✅ Security First - Mandatory verification for all downloads

Modern kubectl Setup and Shell Completion

Shell completion is essential for productive Kubernetes work. With macOS now defaulting to Zsh and modern Linux distributions offering various shells, here’s the updated setup.

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AWS Cassandra Cluster Tutorial 5 (2025): Modern Cassandra Deployment with CDK, EKS, and Infrastructure as Code

Cassandra Cluster Tutorial 5 (2025) - Modern AWS Cassandra Deployment with CDK, EKS, and Infrastructure as Code

This Cassandra tutorial is designed for developers and DevOps/SRE teams who want to deploy production-ready Cassandra clusters in AWS using modern practices and tools available in 2025.

What’s New in 2025

The landscape of deploying Cassandra on AWS has evolved significantly:

1. AWS CDK v2 has become the standard for infrastructure as code, offering type-safe infrastructure definitions
2. Kubernetes operators like K8ssandra provide production-ready Cassandra deployments
3. AWS Graviton3 processors offer 40% better price-performance for Cassandra workloads
4. Container-based deployments are now the norm, with EKS Anywhere for hybrid deployments
5. Service mesh integration with AWS App Mesh provides advanced traffic management
6. AWS Systems Manager replaces bastion hosts for secure access
7. GitOps workflows with AWS CodeCommit and FluxCD for infrastructure management

Cloudurable provides Cassandra training, Cassandra consulting, Cassandra support and helps setting up Cassandra clusters in AWS.

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Kubernetes StatefulSet with ZooKeeper

Kubernetes StatefulSet with ZooKeeper as an example

Background

We were having a hard time deploying Kafka to Kubernetes. It worked fine when we were doing development and integration. We started with Minikube for local development.

If you are not interested in the background and want to skip to the meat of the matter go ahead and skip ahead.

We created a MicroSerivce that uses Kafka in Spring Boot. We ran Kafka in minikube with Helm 2. By the way, Minikube is a mini Kubernetes that easily runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Minikube is great for local application development and supports a lot of Kubernetes. It is great for local testing and we also used it for integration testing.

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kubectl cheatsheet (OSX/Mac)

These k8s/helm/OSX install notes are reproduced from Rick Hightower profile with permission of Rick Hightower.

Shell completion is a must while you are learning Kubernetes.

kubectl: shell completion

Shell Autocompletion set up guide

In 2019, Apple announced that macOS Catalina would now use Zsh (Z Shell) as the default shell, replacing bash. The zsh extends Bourne shell has improvements with features of Bash, ksh, and tcsh.

Add autoload -Uz compinit; compinit; source <(kubectl completion zsh) to .zshrc if you are using bash still follow the instructions at shell Autocompletion set up guide just use the bash tab on that web page.

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Set up Kubernetes on Mac: Minikube, Helm, etc.

Set up docker, k8s and helm on a Mac Book Pro (OSX)

These k8s/helm/OSX install notes are reproduced from Rick Hightower with permission of Rick Hightower.

Install docker

 brew install docker

Install docker desktop for Mac.

Minikube

Use the version of k8s that the stable version of helm can use.

Install minikube

brew cask install minikube

Install hyperkit

brew install hyperkit

Run minikube that is compatible with the last stable helm relesae running on hyperkit

minikube start --kubernetes-version v1.15.4 --vm-driver=hyperkit --cpus=4 --disk-size='100000mb' --memory='6000mb'

• minikube
• start start mini kube
• Use k8s compatible with helm 2 --kubernetes-version v1.15.4
• Use the hyper kit driver --vm-driver=hyperkit
• Use 4 of 8 virtual cores (MacBook Pro comes with 16 virtual cores and 8 cores) --cpus=4
• Allocate 10GB of disk space --disk-size='100000mb' (Might need more
• Use 6 GB of memory --memory='6000mb'

Helm Install

Install helm or just follow this guide on Helm install on a Mac.

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