Kubernetes Platform as a Service in the public cloud

Kubernetes Cloud offers powerful capabilities for managing containerised applications, blending the flexibility of K8s with the advantages of cloud platforms. This approach enables the automation of deployment, scaling, and support of applications, alleviating the burden on IT teams and speeding up the release of new products. Leading cloud providers supply managed Kubernetes services that simplify administration and enhance the reliability of the infrastructure.

One of the primary advantages of Kubernetes Cloud is its exceptional scalability. Cloud providers offer resources on demand, enabling the automatic increase or decrease in the number of containers based on the load. This helps to reduce costs and enhance performance, as companies only pay for the resources they utilise. Furthermore, Cloud K8s provides load balancing and automatic service recovery, thereby boosting application fault tolerance.

Another important advantage is its integration with cloud tools and services. Kubernetes Cloud seamlessly connects to data storage, monitoring systems, and security tools, facilitating convenient management of the entire infrastructure. This is especially beneficial for companies employing microservice architecture, as K8s enables the effective management of complex distributed systems. Consequently, Kubernetes Cloud simplifies the deployment and support of applications, enhances resource utilisation, and improves fault tolerance. Thanks to automation and cloud capabilities, companies can concentrate on development and innovation without being burdened by the technical complexities of container management.

Managed Kubernetes is the ideal solution for DevOps teams, enabling them to concentrate on developing and deploying applications instead of focusing on infrastructure management. Unlike self-deploying Kubernetes, managed services, or Kubernetes as a Service, relieve teams of the responsibility of configuring, updating, and maintaining the cluster. This greatly simplifies working with containerised applications and speeds up their delivery.

One of the key benefits of Managed Kubernetes is its automatic scaling and load balancing. DevOps teams can swiftly adapt resources to changing conditions without having to manually manage nodes and containers. This is particularly crucial for companies utilising microservice architecture, where flexible resource allocation between services is necessary. Additionally, managed services offer automatic updates and patching, which enhance the security and reliability of the system.

Another significant advantage is the integration with cloud tools such as CI/CD pipelines and monitoring and logging systems. Managed K8s streamlines the setup of DevOps processes, offering convenient application lifecycle management. With built-in automation tools, teams can deploy new versions more rapidly and test updates, thereby minimising the risk of failures.

Consequently, Managed Kubernetes emerges as the optimal choice for DevOps teams seeking to accelerate development, enhance service reliability, and lower infrastructure support costs. Utilising managed solutions enables companies to concentrate on developing high-quality software, rather than on the technical specifics of Kubernetes administration.

A Kubernetes Cluster is the foundation of Kubernetes, comprising a group of nodes that collaborate to manage containerised applications. There are two main types of nodes in a cluster: the Master Node and the Worker Nodes. The Master Node is responsible for monitoring all processes, distributing the load, and maintaining system stability, while the Worker Nodes execute the containers and ensure their operation. This distributed structure enables K8s to automatically balance resources and sustain high application resilience.

One of the key features of Kubernetes clusters is their scalability and flexibility. The cluster can be deployed both in the cloud and on physical servers, allowing for the combination of different environments to create hybrid solutions. K8s supports the automatic addition and removal of nodes according to the load, which helps optimise resource consumption and reduce costs. Furthermore, thanks to its self-healing mechanism, Kubernetes can automatically restart containers in the event of their failure, thereby increasing the reliability of applications.

Another important aspect of the K8s cluster is its networking and security system. Kubernetes manages internal networks, enabling containers within the cluster to exchange data securely. Access policies, role-based access control (RBAC), and data encryption are employed to safeguard the system. This facilitates the creation of secure and isolated environments for various applications, which is particularly vital for enterprises dealing with confidential information. Understanding the Kubernetes cluster—its architecture and security mechanisms—enables DevOps teams to develop reliable, flexible, and fault-tolerant systems that are adapted to contemporary business tasks.

VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) is a managed platform for deploying and managing Kubernetes clusters, crafted to simplify the tasks of DevOps teams. It enables the automation of deploying containerised applications across multi-cloud and hybrid environments, ensuring high performance and fault tolerance. TKG integrates seamlessly with the VMware ecosystem, rendering it a convenient solution for organisations utilising virtualisation and cloud technologies.

One of the primary advantages of Tanzu Kubernetes Grid is the unified management of clusters through a centralised console. DevOps teams can effortlessly deploy, update, and scale clusters using integrated automation tools. Furthermore, TKG offers built-in security features, such as access control, data encryption, and compliance policy integration, which are particularly crucial for enterprise environments.

Another important feature of TKG is its support for multi-cloud deployments. The platform enables K8s to be utilised in both local data centres and cloud environments. This provides DevOps teams with flexibility in selecting the infrastructure, minimising reliance on a single provider and streamlining the portability of applications across different environments.

Therefore, VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid offers DevOps teams effective tools for managing Kubernetes clusters, enhancing their efficiency and security. By utilising automation, supporting multi-cloud solutions, and providing deep integration with VMware, TKG accelerates development, simplifies administration, and optimises resource usage.

De Novo offers pre-configured Kubernetes clusters as part of its Hosted Container Infrastructure (HCI) and Kubernetes as a Service (KaaS) offerings. HCI is tailored for DevOps teams and PaaS developers, providing cluster orchestration via VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid. The platform integrates with private cloud IaaS resources, enabling the efficient use of standard tools without requiring a deep understanding of its architecture. HCI encompasses monitoring, updates, and round-the-clock production-grade support.

KaaS is an industrial Kubernetes cluster orchestration platform deployed in the De Novo collective cloud. It is built on the VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid technology stack and enables the management of the entire lifecycle of clusters directly from the cloud operational portal's graphical interface or via API. KaaS integrates with virtual data centres in Cloud Director, providing functionality and usability comparable to those offered by leading cloud providers.

Both De Novo solutions are ideal for organisations planning to transition to Cloud Native architecture, providing dependable platforms that support both traditional and modern business applications concurrently. They assist in alleviating the workload on DevOps teams, reducing unnecessary costs, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements by preventing information from being stored and processed outside the organisation.