CockroachDB is a highly scalable, distributed SQL database that enables global data distribution with resilience against outages, allowing data to be pinned to specific locations to optimize performance and comply with data residency regulations. The concept of node locality is crucial in CockroachDB, as it involves assigning key-value pairs to each node to describe its geographic location, aiding in the efficient management of multi-region capabilities. This system allows CockroachDB to optimize data access and improve performance by reducing network round trips through mechanisms like "follow-the-workload," which adaptively moves data closer to active usage areas. For Kubernetes deployments, CockroachDB utilizes a tool called locality-checker to manage locality by detecting region and availability zone information, which it writes to configuration files for use during node startup. Adjustments in Kubernetes manifests, such as adding init containers and specific volume mounts, help automate the deployment process, ensuring that CockroachDB nodes are aware of their geographic positioning to leverage multi-region SQL capabilities effectively.