Nethopper Announces Membership to CNCF to Simplify and Support Kubernetes Application Operations

Highlighting Nethopper’s Commitment to Open Source and Making Kubernetes Applications Secure and Simple to Operate Across Clusters and Clouds

BOSTON, MA, USA, August 16, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Nethopper.io, the leading Kubernetes Application Operations (KAOps) software as a service, today announced that it has joined the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and Linux Foundation, which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software. As a silver member, Nethopper is looking forward to supporting, educating, and expanding its presence at CNCF events and community.

“Kubernetes adoption among the ever-expanding cloud native community is approaching 100%, meaning those investing in cloud native are strongly bought in and excited for the future,” said Priyanka Sharma, executive director of Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). “Our data also demonstrates how ubiquitous cloud native is, whether it is being deployed in-house or as a managed service,” she said.

As industry research reports that 62% of companies with $1B in revenues have 50+ locations and/or co-locations, the Nethopper CNCF membership follows its announcement to accelerate product development to secure Kubernetes application deployment and connectivity in hybrid, edge, and multi-cloud.

“We are thrilled to join CNCF, which champions critical modern application software components, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, ArgoCD GitOps, and Envoy,” said Chris Munford, founder and CEO of Nethopper. “Cloud Native is way more than Kubernetes. Like the Virtual Machine era of the past, Kubernetes is just the infrastructure. All application operations teams need a software stack on top of Kubernetes to deliver, upgrade, monitor, connect, and secure their application(s). We call this stack KAOps, or Kubernetes Application Operations. KAOps takes years to build and perfect. However, application operations teams can rent this stack–today–from Nethopper, saving time, effort, and risk of building their own. We look forward to engaging multiple CNCF projects and communities to make it easier to go Cloud Native,” he said.

About Nethopper:

With a mission to make Cloud Native applications easy to operate across hybrid, edge, and multi-cloud/cluster, Nethopper is pioneering KAOps, a Kubernetes Application Operations software as a service platform for DevOps. Nethopper has roots in Boston-area innovation, from Digital Equipment Corp, Cascade Communications, Alcatel, Ciena, Web.com, Red Hat, Ericsson, etc. For more information, please visit: https://www.nethopper.io

Simplify Multi-Cluster Kubernetes with a Multi-Cloud Application Network

Enterprises are moving to the cloud

The 2022 Thales Cloud Security Report, conducted by 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, reports that, globally cloud adoption and notably multi-cloud adoption, remains on the rise. According to the report, in 2021, organizations worldwide were using an average amount of 110 software as a service (SaaS) applications, compared with just eight in 2015, showcasing a startlingly rapid increase. Also, the report mentions that the use of multiple providers has almost doubled in the last year, with one in five (20%) of respondents reporting using three or more providers.

Multi-site/cloud/cluster is a reality happening across enterprises, as is the use of containerized applications and microservices with Kubernetes. While Kubernetes is great, in today’s world, enterprises and startups developing and operating Kubernetes across multiple cloud instances and providers, currently lack the necessary observability, security, and networking capabilities.

The Inter-Cluster Communication Challenge

Running Kubernetes in edge networks, hybrid clouds, across multiple clouds, or for geo-scale/redundancy requires inter-cluster communication. Of course, Kubernetes does not support this natively, which means integrating complex service meshes, load balancers, API gateways, and network/firewall automation tools. DevOps has to engage groups like CloudOps, NetOps, and/or SecOps to implement the necessary changes, driving up costs and dragging out release schedules with all the additional activity. But today’s applications, which often need to be updated multiple times per day, are far too dynamic to worry about such concerns.

Take Control: DevOps Self-Service for Multi-Cloud Kubernetes

But what if you, DevOps, could control multi-cluster services, like you do when pods are in the same cluster? Now you can, with a Multi-Cloud Application Network (MAN). A Multi-Cloud Application Network is a secure overlay network that allows DevOps to expose pods in selected namespaces across multiple clusters. Add Multi-Cloud Application Network agents to specified clusters and the overlay network extends Kubernetes wherever you need it, whether in private clouds, multiple cloud instances from the same provider, or across multiple cloud providers like AWS, GCP, or Azure.

What makes a Multi-Cloud Application Network so exciting is that it is controlled by the application team. Since it’s an overlay network, DevOps doesn’t have to be proficient with the underlying technology, or be dependent on NetOps or SecOps people who are. Instead, you get self-service multi-cloud application connectivity, decoupled from the networking and security details.

A Multi-Cloud Application Network high-level GUI provides central command and control, visualizing all containers, microservices, and connections from a single pane of glass. Application teams can view, distribute, balance, and securely connect application components across potentially hundreds of cloud instances and cloud providers as if they were in the same Kubernetes cluster.

Welcome to the new paradigm: faster updates and releases in a world where clouds and multi-clouds are proliferating, and where speed and agility are crucial. Adding to the simplicity is the way a Multi-Cloud Application Network is delivered. You don’t have to download software, integrate it into your operations, and support it thereafter. Instead, it’s software as a service (SaaS) — just sign up and get it.

Impact on DevOps Budgets, Delivery Times, and More

The ability to extend Kubernetes to multi-cloud networks with point and click simplicity translates to significant benefits for application teams. In customer surveys, developers score their Multi-Cloud Application Network deployment in four key areas. Results vary due to the variety of configurations where a Multi-Cloud Application Network is used, but even at the low end, improvements are still substantial.

• Faster release of applications/updates (up to 80%) — i.e., once a week to once a day

– Self-service simplicity eliminates DevOps dependence on NetOps

• Reduces application OpEx (up to 90%)

– No service mesh team needed

- Ability to distribute microservices and containers across multiple clouds where they run most cost- effectively

– One pod per Namespace or node (not one pod + one sidecar pod) reduces CPU/RAM required

• Reduces application downtime (up to 90%)

– Multi-cloud load balancing eliminates single point of failure

– Centralized application visibility and management

• Reduces cyberattacks (up to 66%)

– Comprehensive micro service security solution

– No-code security/simplicity

– Zero-trust networking

There’s another important benefit — perhaps the most important of all. That’s the ability of DevOps to focus on helping the business outcomes - i.e., out-experiment the competition or new software creation or innovation.

---

Try It for Free

Nethopper’s Multi-Cloud Application Network is the simple, secure way to connect and operate your Kubernetes application across multiple clouds and clusters. But don’t take my word for it — discover it for yourself and see what a difference it makes. The entry version is free! If you'd like to see it in action, watch this 23 minutes tech demo video. Got questions? Send me an email at multicloud@nethopper.io.

The emergence of multi-cloud networking software

MCNS promises to bridge the gap in network visibility and management across multiple cloud environments

By John Edwards

Contributing writer, Network World | JUL 20, 2022 3:00 AM PDT

Multi-cloud networking software (MCNS), which is available from industry stalwarts like Cisco and VMware, as well as a slew of startups, is designed to address the challenge of how to safely and efficiently connect networks and applications across multiple public cloud environments.

Traditional approaches to network architecture and operations are untenable in today’s multi-cloud world, says Brian Casemore, vice president of research, datacenter and multi-cloud networking at IDC.

And the cloud service providers have come up short in their ability to effectively integrate multiple clouds, says Ron Howell, managing enterprise network architect at IT consulting firm Capgemini Americas. He says that each public cloud service tends to focus on its own cloud as if it were the only one an enterprise would ever need, which is far from the truth or reality. "This is where multi-cloud networking software adds value," Howell says.

What is multi-cloud networking software?

MCNS aims to ensure consistent networking governance, policy, security, and visibility across multiple cloud environments via a single point of management.

"Multi-cloud networking provides automated, policy-based networking that offers connectivity and network services for distributed workloads in and across multiple clouds," explains Casemore. Enterprises currently address multi-cloud networking in various ways, Some organizations follow a do-it-yourself approach, often involving manual configuration of routers and virtual routers, Casemore says. That manual configuration is sometimes aided by scripting or open-source automation tools.

"Meanwhile, organizations that have adopted a data-center software-defined networking (SDN) platform often look to extend SDN policy and control to cloud environments," he adds. MCNS, whether supplied as network software or as a service based on underlying software, is declaratively managed, on demand, elastically scalable, highly available, and secure. "In other words, it conforms to the core attributes of cloud environments," Casemore states. 4 Steps to Achieve a More Sustainable Supply Chain With the right approach, a more sustainable supply chain – and a plethora of subsequent benefits – is within reach.

Who offers multi-cloud networking software? Gartner's Andrew Lerner has identified several vendors, including Alkira, Aviatrix, Arista, Cisco, F5 Networks and VMWare as active MCNS market participants. IDC has recognized other market players such as Prosimo, Arrcus, Isovalent, and Nethopper.io.

Vendors are offering software that delivers both advanced capabilities for single cloud environments, and operational consistency for multi-cloud operations. "These new cloud software products both replace native cloud software and leverage native cloud provider APIs to meet enterprise requirements," says Rod Stuhlmuller, Aviatrix's vice president of strategic customer and analyst relations.

What are the benefits of multi-cloud networking software? Enterprises are adopting multi-cloud architectures because it allows them to distribute workloads across various cloud services providers, shared colocation facilities, and on-premises data centers by establishing common foundational baselines in the underlying services, says Joe Hielscher, product manager, cloud networking software, with Arista Networks.

Here are some of the benefits of multi-cloud networking software: Consumers Want More Payment Flexibility in Their Shopping Experience User-friendly consumer experiences spur innovation of smartphone integration, in-store digitalization, and secure payment options

• Speed: MCNS promises to dramatically accelerate cloud deployments by eliminating the need to juggle multiple networking silos, all with different tooling and capabilities. "With the right MCNS, organizations no longer require specialized cloud knowledge or have to employ error-prone manual configurations to unify their clouds," says Amir Khan, Alkira's founder and CEO. "As a result, work that used to take months to complete can instead be done in hours."

• Performance: According to Casemore, MCNS offerings include abstractions or low-code optimizations that are designed to simplify networking in and across disparate clouds. The abstractions mitigate the complexity, operational burden, and associated costs of contending with and managing discrete and disconnected cloud APIs and cloud-specific network constructs. "These solutions can also help optimize network performance in and across clouds," he notes.

• Staffing Costs: Having a consistent network and security infrastructure spanning an entire multi-cloud environment promises to free enterprises from having to recruit, hire, build, and retain teams with expertise in disparate cloud environments. "Multi-cloud networking software makes building and managing network and security the same in every public cloud environment," Stuhlmuller explains. "In large enterprises, this benefit alone can translate to a reduction of millions of dollars in human resource costs annually."

• Operational Efficiency: MCNS also promises to bridge the gap that currently exists between NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps teams by providing a common controller and management framework to discover cloud application intent and then implement it across the cloud and non-cloud infrastructure in a secure and seamless manner, says JL Valente, vice president, product management, enterprise routing and SD-WAN, at Cisco. "MCNS should enable organizations to cultivate collaboration between DevOps and NetOps teams for operational efficiency and also drive faster application deployment," he notes.

Is multi-cloud networking software right for your enterprise? Valente believes that MCNS will be most beneficial to organizations that have migrated or are migrating their workloads to one or more clouds, that build their own cloud native applications, and are looking for a consistent experience and architecture across cloud environments.

Arista’s Hielscher sees MCNS primarily attracting large global enterprises. "However, many medium enterprises in industry verticals such as healthcare, state and local governments, education, and federal government institutions have unique requirements for an MCNS solution as well," he says. "Since smaller enterprises can generally self-select a single public cloud for their applications, MCNS is not as common a reality for them as it is for the larger or more complex enterprises."

Evaluating the leading vendors by features, compatibility, and ease of use is step one for any enterprise considering MCNS adoption. "Leaders should select their top two or three MCNS vendors and move on to the second round, where deeper comparison testing should be performed," Howell advises.

What are the adoption challenges? Contrary to general perception, Hielscher argues that many enterprises do not voluntarily choose to operate within a multi-cloud environment. In many cases, the environment is thrust upon them through a merger, acquisition, or an isolated departmental choice that preceded a decision to consolidate architectures.

"This results in organizational gaps, skill-set gaps, and contractual and spending overlaps," he explains. "As with any IT strategy, the first step is to establish which goals are to be addressed and the timeframes to address them in."

Potential adopters should be prepared to spend both time and money when evaluating and comparing MCNS products. "For example, organizations should plan costs associated with staffing a team of engineers to see them through the evaluation process," Howell says.

While virtually all large cloud-focused enterprises, and many smaller organizations, can benefit from the right MCNS, it's important to keep an eye on service and the bottom line. "Benefits to the enterprise must be greater than the cost of the solution," Howell warns.

While few observers doubt MCNS's long-term benefits, getting the software up and running can be both costly and time consuming. Training costs, for instance, need to be factored into the purchasing decision. "The complexity of the [MCNS] solution will require the enterprise to re-train their teams to support the product," Howell says.

Casemore warns that multi-cloud architectures typically require extensive modernization of the entire IT infrastructure, including the network, "to ensure adequate end-to-end performance and security."

Adopters taking a do-it-yourself approach to MCNS and cloud networking in general must possess a deep understanding of the nuances that lurk inside each cloud provider, Khan cautions. "Unfortunately, on-prem networking is very different from cloud networking, so your existing networking resources are often not equipped to set up cloud or multi-cloud networks," he notes.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that hiring cloud experts can be exceptionally difficult in the current labor market. "If you're lucky and can hire an AWS networking expert, for example, you must realize that they won't be able to apply the same skills to GCP or Azure," Khan explains. "Each of the cloud providers have different capabilities, different terms, and different ways of doing things."

Additionally, enterprises pursuing multi-cloud often encounter a range of visibility challenges, including intermittent or partial visibility across clouds, leading to the potential for blind spots. "To speed the process of troubleshooting and remediation, and to help IT operations achieve a more proactive approach to availability and performance, multi-cloud networks must possess pervasive, real-time visibility and observability," Casemore says. "This also ensures that control is not sacrificed for agility."

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing potential MCNS adopters is the tendency for cloud service providers to hold onto their customers for dear life, taking the position that their native services provide the absolute best approach and enterprise leaders' natural tendency to believe them. "This leads enterprises down a path that creates less than optimal network and security architectures that bind them to a single public cloud provider," Stuhlmuller says.

Casemore advises that enterprises plan as far ahead as possible to ensure that their multi-cloud networks will align with and facilitate digital-business outcomes, "allowing the network to assume its place as an integral element of modern digital infrastructure."

Join the Network World communities on Facebook and LinkedIn to comment on topics that are top of mind.

READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE