To achieve the scalability, efficiencies, and other advantages associated with the cloud computing model, companies are increasingly adopting DevOps, microservices, containers, and Kubernetes.
All these approaches seek to modernize application development and deployment to speed business outcomes. The faster and more effectively these apps can be transformed, the quicker that customer experiences are revitalized, revenues boosted, and productivity improved.
In addition, these approaches lean toward cloud-native development, which is not so much about where apps are built, but rather how. It means using a modern infrastructure that offers scalability and flexibility with automation and self-service technologies. And it enables enhanced collaboration between development and IT operations teams for rapid deployment at high quality and security standards.
“The real riches of the cloud accrue to developers who go cloud native and take advantage of modern application architecture,” writes Eric Knorr, Editor in Chief of InfoWorld. “This starts with microservices, which are lightweight services that can be assembled into full-blown applications yet updated individually. The modern style is to run each microservice in a container — which enables multiple microservices, each in isolation from the other, to share the same instance of an operating system. Containers require a fraction of the resources demanded by virtual machines and can ‘plug in’ to an OS without installation, making them extremely portable, a trait developers love.”
To unlock this speed and agility, companies require a platform — a modern application architecture — that can support cloud-native development. It should facilitate application portability across hybrid environments, while reducing the complexity associated with integrating and managing multiple containers and microservices.
Kubernetes: The Platform for Cloud Native
Kubernetes uplevels DevOps, the continuous integration/continuous delivery pipeline, containers, and microservices. It’s an open-source system that incorporates functionality such as automation, integration, and self-service. The right Kubernetes platform provides a unified environment for cloud-native development that enables teams to efficiently manage and modernize applications — across public, private, and hybrid clouds.
Yet it’s not as simple as installing Kubernetes. First, assembling your own platform requires deep expertise, skillsets, and time. Organizations face challenges, for example, in provisioning the necessary resources and components such as storage, networking, and security. In addition, all these capabilities and processes must be integrated, managed, and orchestrated, potentially across multiple clouds.
That’s why many companies adopt an enterprise-ready Kubernetes platform. Here are some questions to consider when evaluating solutions:
- Does the platform provide out-of-the-box functionality? Organizations should seek a solution that provides tools that allow developers to get to work fast, without having to spend time configurating and integrating them for cloud development and deployment. The right platform will also offer a guided approach to increase developer productivity.
- What services are available in the platform? Ask, for example, whether the Kubernetes solution includes a suite of cloud-based middleware services for messaging, data storage, and business rules management. These capabilities ensure DevOps teams are “ready to run.” For even greater speed, find out if the platform provider offers pre-built containers that can be integrated. This gets modernization efforts off the ground faster.
- What support is available? Deploying Kubernetes takes effort, even with an enterprise-ready platform. Discover if the solution provider offers training and consulting, and specifically ask about expertise. Certifications in Kubernetes are good-to-have, but real-world practical experience with installations and deployments are a must-have.
An effective modern application architecture enables organizations to take a cloud-like approach toward development and deployment. As companies explore cloud-native development, they should seek an underlying platform that provides the speed, resiliency, and agility that ultimately helps achieve business value.
For more information about cloud-native development, visit: https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/exec-guide-cloud-native-dev-platform-whitepaper