In the ever-evolving world of cloud infrastructure and DevOps, many businesses look for tools that make deploying and managing applications more efficient. HashiCorp Nomad is one of these tools, and it’s gaining popularity, especially for companies looking to manage workloads across different environments and platforms. Nomad is a flexible, simple, and powerful workload orchestrator that allows you to manage containers, VMs, and more.

Here’s a look into Nomad’s benefits, drawbacks, and how it’s being used by major companies to get the most out of their infrastructure.

HashiCorp Nomad is a lightweight, flexible orchestrator that manages deployments of containerized and non-container applications across different infrastructures. Unlike Kubernetes, which is often container-focused, Nomad is platform-agnostic and can handle various workloads, from VMs to executables, and, of course, containers.

Example: Suppose you have applications running on VMs, Docker, and even legacy applications that are not containerized. With Nomad, you can manage all of these workloads from one place without reworking them to fit a single environment.

1. Simplicity and Ease of Use

   • Nomad is designed with simplicity in mind. Unlike some other orchestrators, which require an entire ecosystem of tools, Nomad works as a single binary with a simple architecture, making it easy to deploy and manage.
     Example: If your team is smaller or lacks Kubernetes expertise, Nomad provides an easy-to-understand alternative.

2. Multi-Environment Compatibility

   • Nomad doesn’t require everything to be containerized. It can manage applications on various platforms, from bare-metal servers to the cloud, supporting Docker, VMs, and raw executables.
   • Example: Cloudflare uses Nomad because of its flexibility, enabling it to run workloads across different data centers globally without relying solely on containers.

3. Efficient Scheduling

   • Nomad’s job scheduler is highly efficient. It considers all resources and prioritizes applications based on available resources and workloads.
   • This is particularly helpful for organizations that require fast scaling and want to avoid the “noise” and overhead of Kubernetes clusters.

4. Integration with HashiCorp’s Suite

   • Nomad is part of the HashiCorp suite, making it easy to integrate with other HashiCorp tools like Consul for service discovery and Vault for secure secrets management.
     Example: By using Consul with Nomad, companies can automatically connect services without hardcoding IP addresses or managing service discovery manually.

1. Lightweight Resource Consumption

   • Because Nomad’s architecture is simple, it consumes fewer resources than some other orchestration platforms. It doesn’t need a highly complex setup, which can save on infrastructure costs.
     Example: Roblox, known for its massive user base, uses Nomad to manage millions of daily requests without the need for a heavyweight orchestrator.

1. Less Mature Ecosystem

   • Compared to Kubernetes, Nomad’s ecosystem is less mature, meaning fewer built-in tools and plugins. Kubernetes has a massive community and a wide range of extensions, which can be beneficial for very complex, container-based infrastructures.

2. Limited Community Support

   • While Nomad has an active community, it’s smaller than Kubernetes’. This can make finding community-driven support or plugins more challenging.

3. Scaling Limitations

   • While Nomad handles most production workloads well, Kubernetes is more widely recognized for high-scale containerized applications, with extensive tooling and support.

4. Steeper Learning Curve for Complex Needs

   • Although easy for basic orchestration, managing complex workloads on Nomad can be more challenging because you may need to build or script around certain functionalities, especially if you need advanced load balancing or metrics tracking.

• Cloudflare: Manages diverse workloads across their global network of data centers, favoring Nomad’s ability to run non-containerized applications.
• Roblox: Known for handling high concurrency for gaming workloads, Roblox relies on Nomad for its simplicity and performance efficiency.
• Pandora (SiriusXM): Uses Nomad to handle its workload scheduling, simplifying infrastructure management across various data centers.

1. Multi-Cloud Deployments

   Some organizations use Nomad to manage workloads across multiple cloud providers, such as AWS and Google Cloud, enabling them to avoid vendor lock-in. By using Nomad’s scheduling capabilities, companies can deploy applications based on cost and availability, switching workloads between providers as needed.

2. Edge Computing

   With the growth of edge computing, companies are deploying applications close to users for better performance. Nomad’s lightweight setup makes it perfect for edge environments, where infrastructure may be more limited.

   For example: Imagine an IoT company running Nomad at the edge to deploy and manage device applications close to users, resulting in lower latency.

3. Hybrid Workloads

   Nomad’s support for different types of workloads allows companies to combine legacy applications, containers, and VMs. Companies that aren’t fully containerized can orchestrate a mix of applications without major re-architecture.

1. Flexibility with Different Workload Types: If your environment contains a mix of containers, VMs, and legacy applications, Nomad is a great choice because it isn’t container-exclusive.

2. Simplified Deployment and Maintenance: For teams looking to manage workloads without an extensive ecosystem of supporting tools, Nomad’s simplicity reduces setup and maintenance burdens.

3. Lightweight Architecture: Nomad is less resource-intensive, making it ideal for edge deployments or environments with limited resources.

1. Container-Only Workloads: If your workload is primarily containerized and you need advanced orchestration, Kubernetes may be more suited to your needs with its powerful ecosystem and broad support.

2. Need for Extensive Community Support and Plugins: Kubernetes has a larger ecosystem with more third-party tools, making it easier to find existing plugins or community support.

3. Higher Scalability Requirements: If you anticipate scaling up containerized applications on a very large scale, Kubernetes offers better support for high-scale, container-focused environments.

HashiCorp Nomad is an excellent choice for organizations that need flexibility with various workload types and a lightweight, easy-to-manage orchestrator. With major companies like Cloudflare and Roblox using it, Nomad proves valuable for organizations with hybrid or multi-environment needs. However, if you need a container-specific solution with an extensive support ecosystem, Kubernetes may be a better choice.

In summary, Nomad’s strengths lie in its simplicity, flexibility, and efficient scheduling, making it a powerful tool in the right context, especially for organizations with mixed workload environments and edge or multi-cloud needs. As with any tool, understanding the specific needs of your applications and infrastructure is key to selecting the best orchestrator for your team.

Navigating the complexities of Nomad and adhering to best practices can be daunting, potentially diminishing the advantages this powerful service offers. At OpsBridge, we specialize in maximizing the potential of Nomad for your business. Contact us today to start leveraging Nomad’s full capabilities effectively.