Distributed notebook kernels in a containerized computing environment

A system, comprising:

• computer hardware, having at least one processor, configured to initiate operations including:
• executing a notebook server in a first container, wherein the notebook server is configured to communicate with a gateway in a second container;
• in response to a request for a kernel from the notebook server, the gateway requesting a new container including the kernel from a container manager;
• instantiating the new container including the kernel within a selected computing node of a plurality of computing nodes;
• publishing communication port information for the new container to the gateway;
• exchanging electronic messages between the notebook server and the kernel through the gateway using the communication port information for the new container;
• wherein in response to receiving a lifecycle management message for the kernel from the notebook server, the gateway sending the lifecycle management message to a communication port of a kernel controller;
• and
• the kernel controller, in response to the lifecycle management message, performing a signal write to a process within the new container executing the kernel.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by computer hardware to cause the computer hardware to initiate operations comprising:

• executing a notebook server in a first container, wherein the notebook server is configured to communicate with a gateway in a second container;
• in response to a request for a kernel from the notebook server, the gateway requesting a new container including the kernel from a container manager;
• instantiating the new container including the kernel within a selected computing node of a plurality of computing nodes;
• publishing communication port information for the new container to the gateway;
• exchanging electronic messages between the notebook server and the kernel through the gateway using the communication port information for the new container;
• wherein in response to receiving a lifecycle management message for the kernel from the notebook server, the gateway sending the lifecycle management message to a communication port of a kernel controller;
• and
• the kernel controller, in response to the lifecycle management message, performing a signal write to a process within the new container executing the kernel.