Provisioning & lifecycle
Terraform or OpenTofu, Ansible and declarative cluster configuration for reproducible nodes and upgrades.
CCM, networking & load balancers
Configure Hetzner Cloud Controller Manager, private networks, firewalls, CNI and external services as one network design.
Storage & data
Select Hetzner volumes through CSI, local NVMe, replicated storage layers and database backups according to requirements.
GitOps & delivery
Registry, Argo CD or Flux, Helm, secrets and promotion between development, test and production environments.
Private administration
Expose the Kubernetes API, GitOps and monitoring through NetBird or controlled management networks.
Monitoring, backup & operations
Monitor, upgrade and recover infrastructure, nodes, cluster, add-ons and workloads.
Plan, build and operate Kubernetes on Hetzner
WZ-IT implements Kubernetes on Hetzner Cloud, dedicated servers or a Proxmox foundation. We combine cluster lifecycle, networking, storage, GitOps, backup and managed operations into a production platform.
Architecture models
Hetzner supplies infrastructure; the Kubernetes platform is built explicitly on top
Cloud VMs, dedicated servers and Proxmox differ in elasticity, performance, isolation and operating effort. We select and combine them according to the workloads.
Hetzner Cloud
API-driven nodes, private networks, load balancers and volumes for automated clusters with flexible capacity.
Dedicated servers
Bare-metal performance for steady loads, high I/O requirements or specialized node pools without a virtualization layer.
Proxmox + Kubernetes
Operate VMs, legacy workloads and Kubernetes nodes together on a controlled private-cloud foundation.
Cloud and bare-metal hybrid
Combine cloud nodes for variable capacity with dedicated workers for base load, data or performance-intensive workloads.
Platform scope
Components of a production-capable Hetzner Kubernetes platform
We include Hetzner integrations as well as Kubernetes and application responsibilities.
In addition to the cluster, applications need defined processes for delivery, access, observability, recovery and technical ownership.
Delivery
GitOps, CI/CD, separate environments, approvals and reproducible rollbacks.
Network
CNI, network policies, ingress or gateway, DNS, TLS and private access.
Security
OIDC, RBAC, secrets, image validation, policies and traceable changes.
Observability
Metrics, logs, traces, alerting and SLOs for platform and applications.
Backup & restore
Cluster state, persistent data, restore tests and a documented recovery path.
Lifecycle
Updates, CVE assessment, capacity, costs and an agreed operating model.
Implementation
From Hetzner resources to an operable application platform
The cluster is built reproducibly and validated together with its provider integrations and workloads.
Assessment & sizing
Capture workloads, data, load profiles, availability and cost constraints.Infrastructure design
Define cloud, dedicated, Proxmox, regions, networks and failure domains.Cluster build
Provision nodes, control plane, CNI, storage and load balancing through automation.Workload onboarding
Integrate registry, GitOps, secrets, applications and data with controlled steps.Operations transition
Test and hand over monitoring, backup, recovery, upgrades and response.Starting pointOngoing operations
Responsibility boundaries
Operating responsibility above the Hetzner infrastructure layer
For a self-built cluster, the operator remains responsible for the control plane, nodes and platform services. WZ-IT can assume this scope.
01
Hetzner
- Supplies the contracted cloud, network, storage or dedicated resources according to the respective product scope.
Physical and provider-supplied infrastructure
02
WZ-IT
- Designs and operates the agreed Kubernetes, platform, network, backup and observability scope.
Cluster and application platform as a managed service
03
Customer team
- Owns business approvals and, depending on the contract, applications and data; WZ-IT can also assume parts of application operations.
Clear boundary between platform and business software
Service-scope boundary
Kubernetes operations by WZ-IT on Hetzner infrastructure
The service is a Kubernetes platform designed and operated by WZ-IT on contracted Hetzner resources. Ownership by Hetzner, WZ-IT and the customer team is documented for the selected architecture.
Cloud, dedicated and Proxmox variants with separate failure-domain and network designs · Explicit ownership for control plane, nodes, add-ons, storage and applications · Recovery through etcd, declarative configuration, volumes and application-consistent backups
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers on architecture, delivery, responsibilities and ongoing operations.
- Hetzner provides cloud or dedicated resources as well as integrations for cloud controllers and persistent storage. WZ-IT builds the Kubernetes platform on top and operates the agreed cluster, add-ons and applications. Responsibilities are stated in the proposal.
- Cloud VMs support API-driven provisioning and flexible capacity. Dedicated servers provide consistent bare-metal performance and may suit base load, storage or specialized workers. Hybrid models are also possible.
- Yes. Kubernetes nodes typically run as separate virtual machines on a Proxmox cluster. Legacy VMs, infrastructure components and Kubernetes workloads can then share a common but segmented foundation.
- In Hetzner Cloud, provider integrations can represent load balancers and volumes in Kubernetes. Dedicated or Proxmox deployments require different load-balancing and storage models. The choice depends on networking, data, availability and cost.
- Yes. An audit covers versions, distribution, networking, storage, add-ons, GitOps, backups and workloads. It produces a stabilization, upgrade or migration plan and a defined operating scope.
- Yes. Administrative access can use private networks, bastion designs or NetBird. The Kubernetes CNI remains responsible for the cluster network; NetBird adds the identity-aware access path.
Technical guidance
Compare cloud VMs, dedicated servers and Proxmox architectures
The technical guide covers Hetzner Cloud Controller Manager, CSI, load balancing, storage, private access, GitOps and the complete operating scope.
Technical guidance
One platform. Six entry points.
Select infrastructure and operating model deliberately
Reviews & projects
Operations that visibly relieve customers
Customer feedback on monitoring, updates, maintenance, support and stable production systems.
WZ-IT moved our studio infrastructure from decentralised individual devices to a central platform: every site is securely connected via VPN, new devices are onboarded automatically and an entire site is provisioned from a template, without manual steps on location. What impressed me most is the breadth and depth of their knowledge: Timo and Robin are not a typical IT provider who sets up a server and leaves. The two of them think their way into highly complex infrastructure and software topics, work through every requirement we put in front of them, and build networking, provisioning and operations so that everything fits together in the end. WZ-IT is an excellent partner for complex software, network and architecture projects.
Steve KirchnerManaging Director, nextGYM GmbH
International
Built in Germany's Ruhr Valley. Running worldwide.
WZ-IT designs, develops and operates infrastructure and software for clients in Germany and internationally. We deliver projects remotely and continue supporting them in ongoing operations after go-live.
Selected projects
- LiveRemote access platform for distributed water treatment plantsABCO Water Systems · Australia · Secure Access & OT
- 81%AWS migration with substantially lower operating costsEVA Real Estate · UAE · Cloud exit & infrastructure
- 98%Provision new sites in minutes instead of hoursnextGYM GmbH · Germany · Automation & IoT
Read client reviews
- Secure your Proxmox & backup setup
- Virtualize with Managed Proxmox
- Build a high-availability Proxmox cluster
- Modernize your infrastructure - sovereign
- Plan a sovereign open-source stack
- Integrate a local AI solution
- Modernize your legacy software
- Cut cloud cost - up to −81%
- Design an open-source AI architecture
- Get collaboration fully managed
- Ship your prototype to production
- Connect sites and clusters securely
Enquiry
How should Kubernetes run at Hetzner?
Tell us about workloads, availability requirements and existing Hetzner resources. We will assess the appropriate model.
- Straight with Timo and Robin - no sales team, no pitch
- A professional assessment of your situation
- Concrete next steps for infrastructure, software or AI
The conversation is free and non-binding.
WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.
Jakob ÖschlbergerInno7 GmbH
WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.