> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.layerrail.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managed Kubernetes overview

> Run container workloads on LayerRail-managed Kubernetes clusters with managed control planes, worker pools, networking, and cluster autoscaling.

LayerRail Kubernetes clusters, also called LKS, give your project a managed control plane and worker nodes for container workloads.

Use LKS when your application needs deployments, services, rolling updates, cluster networking, and Kubernetes-native tooling.

## Cluster model

| Component      | Purpose                                         |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Control plane  | Runs the Kubernetes API and control components. |
| Worker nodes   | Run application pods.                           |
| Node pools     | Group workers with the same size and role.      |
| Kubeconfig     | Lets `kubectl` authenticate to the cluster.     |
| Load balancers | Expose workloads outside the cluster.           |

## Common use cases

* Multi-service applications.
* APIs and worker deployments.
* Internal platforms.
* CI/CD environments.
* Self-hosted tools.

## Limitations

Cluster capabilities depend on the selected location, available VM sizes, and current LayerRail Kubernetes support.

<Info>
  Start with one worker node for development. Add nodes when workloads or availability needs grow.
</Info>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/managed-kubernetes/quickstart" />

  <Card title="Resize a cluster" icon="up-right-and-down-left-from-center" href="/managed-kubernetes/resize-cluster" />

  <Card title="Expose with TLS" icon="lock" href="/managed-kubernetes/expose-application-using-tls" />

  <Card title="Load balancers" icon="network-wired" href="/networking/load-balancer" />
</CardGroup>