When using managed platforms like Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), there are many things that you don’t have to worry about that it takes care of for you! But have you ever paused to consider what machinery operates beneath that simple surface? Perhaps wondered how you might be able to do it on your own, or how to at least go about trying to do it? My personal motivation for this project was simple: I wanted to give this a try myself to truly understand Kubernetes at its core. Moving past the abstraction of managed services, I set out to peel back the layers and inspect the core components. This approach involves setting up standard Google Compute Engine (GCE) Virtual Machines, manually installing and configuring every component, and wiring the networking together ourselves. This deliberate, hands-on process helps build the foundational knowledge necessary to effectively troubleshoot, optimize, and better understand our own clusters.…