Kubernetes Scheduling and GPU Virtualization for LLM: An MBA PM's Beginner Guide

FAQ

What single metric should I watch to know my LLM pods are being scheduled efficiently?
Watch the gpu_utilization metric from the NVIDIA DCGM exporter; if the average across the cluster stays above 70 % and no pod is pending for more than 30 seconds, the scheduler is effective.

Can I mix MIG‑enabled nodes and bare‑metal GPUs in the same cluster?
Yes, but you must label nodes (gpu-type=mig vs gpu-type=bare) and add a node‑selector in your pod spec; otherwise the scheduler may place a 12‑GB model on an 8‑GB MIG slice and crash.

How do I justify the $1.2 M annual compute budget to CFOs?
Break the cost into $0.73 / GPU‑hour × 8 hours / day × 250 days / year × 32 GPUs = $1,177,600, then show the incremental revenue per model fine‑tune (e.g., $5 M from a new product line) to achieve a > 4× ROI.amazon.com/dp/B0GWWJQ2S3).

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