GPU Orchestration in Kubernetes: Device Plugin or GPU Operator?

The management of GPUs within Kubernetes clusters has become increasingly critical as AI, machine learning (ML), and high-performance computing workloads gain traction. Two approaches enabling GPU acceleration on Kubernetes are the NVIDIA Device Plugin and the NVIDIA GPU Operator.

The choice between the NVIDIA Device Plugin and GPU Operator represents a fundamental architectural decision for GPU-enabled Kubernetes clusters. The Device Plugin offers direct GPU resource exposure with minimal overhead, while the GPU Operator provides…