Parceling up software applications into ‘containers’ is commonplace these days, having grown rapidly over the last decade. Aiming to simplify the development, testing, and delivery process, to encourage agility, it’s a way of working that continues to have wide appeal.
For the uninitiated, a container is akin to putting everything needed to run an application into a portable box. The box holds all the elements ready-made for different systems and hardware, including software, configurations, and files. As a result, applications run consistently regardless of whether they are on virtual machines, cloud platforms, or on-premise servers.
For example, an application developed in a container on a local machine can be deployed to a cloud provider such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud without any additional changes. The container behaves the same way in all these environments. And, it can be deployed again and again without any alterations, wherever and whenever it is required.
An expensive black hole for IT resources
IT experts favor this highly flexible approach as, in theory, it enables developers to create software efficiently, adapt to changes quickly, and try out innovative ideas, with minimal disruption to existing systems.
Another attraction for businesses is the potential saving on infrastructure costs compared to legacy alternatives. Containers use fewer system resources and can scale easily. However, gaining these advantages depends on organizations having the right in-house skills and tools to architect them correctly to meet sophisticated integration, optimization, and security requirements. This is where things can start to get complex, with expensive IT resources disappearing into what seems like a never-ending black hole.
Often using hundreds or thousands of containers to power applications effectively, organizations also need specialist tools to ensure they work together seamlessly. This requires an orchestration solution like Kubernetes which automatically manages, scales, and coordinates containers. While Kubernetes is a powerful open source solution, it isn’t simple to operate. It requires in-depth, specialist knowledge and dedicated resources for adoption, development, and maintenance. Not something every organization readily has to hand. So, rather than bringing desired efficiencies, setting up container orchestration can turn out to be a lengthy ordeal, riddled with mistakes and problems. It can take multiple pilot deployments to iron out issues before Kubernetes can be used for major projects. Not forgetting, IT teams must also prepare for the challenge of version updates and upgrades.
Container benefits, but without the hassle
Understandably, many organizations want the benefits of containers without the painful inhouse learning curve and ongoing stress of maintenance. This is where a managed service can take the strain, by providing a cloud-based orchestration service, that incorporates the expertise and resources necessary to optimise the infrastructure for containerized workloads.
For example, if using Kubernetes, a managed service provider (MSP) takes full responsibility for installation, monitoring, and maintenance of the Kubernetes masters and control plane along with the underlying equipment and network infrastructure. This ensures:
Easy implementation: Customers don’t have the burden of implementation and can focus their efforts on deriving value from their applications instead of worrying about administration, maintenance and performance. Developers can easily create multiple clusters in a single data center location. These clusters are highly flexible, functions or applications that can be separated as required whether for testing or production.
Reliable performance: Today’s cost-effective, high-performance cloud solutions enable MSPs to guarantee superior levels of reliability and processing speed. System monitoring and cluster health checks quickly pick up any issues before causing further problems. Ongoing assessment of workloads enables continuous optimization of computing power to meet changing demands. Additionally, industry-standard security practices protect all applications from cyberattacks.
Version management: Managing the intricacies of Kubernetes is demanding. Instead, customers can rely on the MSP to handle timely upgrades to new versions and updates, ensuring all dependencies are managed properly. This eliminates the risk of downtime from poorly executed updates, and the need for rollbacks which can cause further disruption.
Persistent storage: Important for Kubernetes deployments, MSPs can also enable persistent cloud storage as many applications rely on consistent storage, like databases, message queues, and content management systems. This provides significant benefits in terms of data integrity, reliability, and scalability.
An agile future, free from vendor lock-in
The inherent portability of containers allows applications to run consistently across different environments, whether cloud managed services or on-premise infrastructures. When used in conjunction with an open-source orchestration tool, like Kubernetes, it is a flexible and unified way of managing containers, simplifying transfers between different cloud providers and on-premise setups. Together, they enable organizations to adopt hybrid or multi-cloud strategies, easing the migration of workloads to meet changing requirements, without the restriction of long-term vendor lock-in.
For organizations wanting to simplify their approach to cluster orchestration or looking to reduce costs and increase agility, a managed service cloud option has much to commend it. Taking the hardship and unpredictability out of managing a solution such as Kubernetes can free up IT departments from manual, error-prone deployment. It enables organizations to focus on creating new applications more quickly, and scaling them up or down as required. Thus, providing a solid foundation to enable better agility and support innovation for the future.
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Terry Storrar, Managing Director at Leaseweb UK.