In this example, we are deploying NGINX - a free, open-source HTTP server and reverse proxy that is well known for its high performance, stability, rich feature set, simple configuration, and low resource consumption. Since it is already in the Google market place, deploying NGINX requires just a few mouse clicks.

For complete information about NGINX, see NGINX Wiki.

Deploying NGINX

1. Log in to Google Cloud Platform.

2. Select Kubernetes Engine > Workloads > Deploy.

Figure 10.               Workload deployment wizard

3. Enter appropriate container and configuration details in Create a Deployment window.

Figure 11.               Container configuration

Providing examples to enter details:

         Container image ─ nginx:latest

         Application Name ─ nginx-test

         Namespace ─ nginx-deployment

         Destination Cluster ─ gke-on-prem-US

         Pods ─ Enter minimum pod number to start.

4. Click Deploy to start the deployment.
5. Verify if the deployment has been completed, select Kubernetes Engine > Workloads.

Figure 12.               Successful deployment of Nginx workload

Note: Since the NGINX pods run inside the GKE on-prem cluster virtual machines, you will not see any additional virtual machines in vCenter.

Scaling NGINX deployment

Once deployed, scaling the number of pods in the deployment to meet the demands of your application is accomplished easily with a few clicks.

1. Log in to Google Cloud Platform.

2. Select Kubernetes Engine > Workloads > SCALE.
3. Enter the required number of pod replicas and click SCALE.

4. Refresh console window to view new pods.

Note: Refresh immediately else new pods passes the PodInitializing status and shows status as Running.