Explore how YDB, an open-source distributed database management system, leverages Kubernetes and the Operator design pattern to modernize stateful distributed database cluster management while maintaining raw disk drive usage for optimal performance. Learn about the challenges of transitioning from bare-metal environments to cloud-native ecosystems and discover strategies for preserving performance benefits in dynamic settings. Gain insights into YDB's approach to storing data directly on block devices without a filesystem and understand the techniques employed to adapt this method to Kubernetes environments. Delve into the intricacies of managing raw disk drives in cloud-native infrastructures and uncover solutions for maintaining high-performance data storage in modern, containerized environments.