Volcano is a Kubernetes-native batch scheduling system designed to enhance the default kube-scheduler for AI, ML, Big Data, and HPC workloads. It offers robust integration with popular frameworks like Spark, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and MPI, providing a mature and flexible solution for managing complex, high-performance computing tasks on cloud-native infrastructure.

How It Works

Volcano extends Kubernetes scheduling by introducing a custom scheduler and CRDs for defining batch jobs. It leverages concepts from kube-batch and incorporates over fifteen years of experience in operating high-performance workloads. This approach allows for advanced features like gang scheduling, resource preemption, and topology-aware scheduling, optimizing resource utilization and job execution for demanding applications.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/volcano-sh/volcano/master/installer/volcano-development.yaml or via Helm: helm install volcano volcano-sh/volcano -n volcano-system --create-namespace.
• Prerequisites: Kubernetes 1.12+ with CRD support.
• Resources: Installation via YAML creates volcano-admission, volcano-controllers, and volcano-scheduler pods in the volcano-system namespace.
• Docs: Quick Start Guide, Helm Charts.

Highlighted Details

• CNCF incubating project with widespread adoption across industries.
• Integrates with Spark, Flink, Ray, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Argo, MindSpore, PaddlePaddle, Kubeflow, MPI, Horovod, MXNet, KubeGene.
• Supports AI, ML, Big Data, and HPC workloads.
• Offers features like gang scheduling and GPU fragmentation prevention.

Maintenance & Community

• Active community with hundreds of contributors.
• Weekly/bi-weekly community meetings.
• Contact: Slack Channel, Mailing List, WeChat.

Licensing & Compatibility

• Apache 2.0 License.
• Compatible with Kubernetes versions 1.17 through 1.32 (check specific version compatibility table in README for details).

Limitations & Caveats

The README notes that the one-click install script ./hack/local-up-volcano.sh is temporarily only available for x86_64 architecture. Compatibility with older Kubernetes versions (< v1.16) uses deprecated CRDs.