Kubernetes consulting in Pittsburgh and Cleveland
KawaConnect designs, runs and supports production Kubernetes for businesses in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and in the Cleveland area of Northeast Ohio. We build on Talos Linux and Cilium, and we will tell you if you do not need a cluster.
Talk about your cluster Linux server support
Platforms on this service
What we do
Kubernetes schedules containers across several machines and restarts them when something fails. We design the cluster, deploy your applications to it and keep it upgraded.
Talos Linux clusters
An immutable, API-managed operating system for Kubernetes nodes, so nodes do not drift apart through manual changes.
Cilium networking
Pod networking and network policies that control which services may talk to each other.
Helm and GitOps
Applications described in a Git repository and applied automatically, so every change is reviewed and can be reverted.
GitLab CI/CD
Pipelines that build container images, run tests and publish to a registry on each change.
Monitoring and backups
Grafana dashboards for cluster health, plus backups of cluster state and persistent data with tested restores.
Upgrades
Planned Kubernetes and node upgrades, done one node at a time while applications keep running.
Cluster design on physical servers or Proxmox
A cluster can run directly on physical servers or on virtual machines under Proxmox. Bare metal gives the nodes direct access to hardware. Proxmox virtual machines make snapshots, rebuilds and test clusters easy. We choose with you, based on your hardware, your applications and who will operate it.
- Control plane: enough nodes to keep the cluster running when one fails.
- Storage: persistent volumes backed by local disks or Ceph storage, depending on what your data needs.
- Access: ingress, TLS certificates and who may reach the cluster API.
Delivery and operations
We keep cluster and application configuration in version control. A change is a GitLab merge request, and the cluster follows the repository.
Operations means upgrades, monitoring, alerts, backups and capacity. We write down how each piece works, so your team or ours can run it. For a deeper look, read the Kubernetes guides and the Talos Linux guides in our knowledge base.
When Kubernetes is not the answer
A cluster takes more work to run than a single server. A single application with one database often runs better on a Linux virtual machine with proper backups, which our Linux server support covers. A handful of containers on one host suit Docker and Docker Compose.
We recommend a cluster when you need failover across machines, rolling updates, or many services that must be scheduled together. If you are unsure, our Linux and Kubernetes overview shows how the options compare.
How an engagement works
- Discovery call. We learn what you run, what must stay online and who will operate it.
- Written scope. A design or review, with the order of work and the backup and rollback plan.
- Build and handover. We deploy, test failure and restore, and document operation.
- Ongoing operations. Optional, with a named engineer and no lock-in.
Our offices are in Coraopolis and Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Cleveland-area on-site work is arranged around the project, and remote support is available nationwide. We reply within one business day.
Questions about Kubernetes consulting
Can you take over a cluster someone else built?
Yes. We review the nodes, access, backups and deployment method first, then fix specific problems or take over operations.
Why Talos Linux?
Talos has no shell and no package manager. Nodes are configured through an API, which keeps them identical and reduces what can be misconfigured or attacked.
Do we need Kubernetes for our application?
Often not. We will say so on the first call and suggest a Linux virtual machine or Docker if either fits better.
Can you move our Docker workloads to Kubernetes?
Yes. We convert the Compose services to Helm charts, move the data, test, and cut over on a schedule you approve.
Who it is for
- Companies whose Docker host has become a single point of failure
- Development teams that need image builds, pipelines and repeatable deployments
- Organizations running a cluster without time for upgrades and backup testing
- Regulated operations that need documented, auditable infrastructure
Related guides
Plain-English explanations from our knowledge base.
KubernetesTalos LinuxDockerClustersGitLabGit
Plan your Kubernetes project
Tell us what you run today and we will scope a cluster, a review or a simpler alternative. Remote nationwide, on-site by appointment in Pittsburgh and the Cleveland area.
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