Solving Red Hat OpenShift’s Operational Challenges with KAOPS

Simplifying OpenShift Management and Migration with KAOPS

Red Hat OpenShift Is Just Kubernetes, Not Application DevOps

Red Hat® OpenShift® is a leading enterprise Kubernetes platform, and it simplifies the process of installing and using a Kubernetes cluster. Once installed, OpenShift does what Kubernetes is supposed to do, enable users to deploy and operate containerized applications. However, the hard work has just begun. Those users, DevOps, must then install a whole suite of open source tools, running on top of OpenShift, to deploy and operate (monitor, troubleshoot, secure, upgrade, etc) their applications. To illustrate this, consider the container software stack below, with infrastructure at the bottom, Kubernetes above infrastructure, and a ‘Platform’ of operational tools at the top.

One of our OpenShift users said it best, “Applications don’t deploy themselves.” Out-of-the-box, OpenShift does not provide many of these necessary operational tools, such as GitOps, Continuous Delivery (CD), CI/CD workflow engine, advanced Observability, encrypted Secrets, turnkey Ingress support, Multi-Cluster management, etc.

To fill some of the operational gaps in OpenShift, Red Hat now offers an ACM (Advanced Cluster Management) add-on. However, ACM is not a complete platform, missing some key required Ops features (see comparison graphic below). Also, ACM is designed to work only with OpenShift, and not other Kubernetes distributions, like Amazon EKS, Google GKE, and Azure AKS, so users need to find multiple Ops Platform solutions in hybrid and multi-cloud scenarios. This leaves many users wondering how to get more from their Red Hat OpenShift.

Red Hat's ACM is designed to work only with OpenShift, and not other Kubernetes distributions

Stay With OpenShift or Transition to An Alternative?

It’s a big question, and for a number of OpenShift users in various industry sectors, OpenShift is a ‘keeper’, and it’s not going away any time soon. Other companies are looking to transition to managed Kubernetes in the public cloud. Whichever mindset you have, KAOPS can help.

For those keeping OpenShift…

• Many organizations have standardized on Red Hat OpenShift technology, especially in the Finance, FinTech, Banking or Telecom sectors. And for a number of reasons, including regulatory, compliance and/or governance, they must keep OpenShift up and running. For these users, Nethopper KAOPS is that necessary suite of operational tools which enhances OpenShift to become a completely managed Kubernetes service for DevOps.

For those who want to transition to a new Kubernetes…

• A growing number of OpenShift users are looking elsewhere for Kubernetes alternatives, such as SUSE Rancher, Mirantis, or SpectroCloud. Others are turning to the large cloud providers, such as Amazon EKS, Azure AKS, and Google GKE.

But, moving away from OpenShift is not quick and easy, like flicking a light switch on/off. Users must keep OpenShift up and running even during the transition to another solution, and that can take years. For these users, Nethopper KAOPS can not only be the DevOps platform for OpenShift, but can also be the DevOps platform for their future Kubernetes. This way, they can train the DevOps team once, and then they are free to move to any cloud or Kubernetes. And because KAOPS is multi-cluster, it can even migrate applications from Openshift to the new Kubernetes, and vice versa. KAOPS is a future-proof DevOps platform for all clouds and Kubernetes!

How to Get OpenShift Operational Agility and Speed?

All OpenShift users need DevOps operational functionality. And they need it fast. Red Hat would argue that ACM is the operational solution for OpenShift, which is now the main component of PlatformPlus. Rebranding aside, the challenges for Red Hat ACM for OpenShift include:

• Roadmap is still playing catch up. ACM cannot keep up with the fast pace of cloud-native innovation

• Cost. ACM is an expensive add-on to OpenShift

• Only works with OpenShift: ACM lacks a neutral approach to cloud and Kubernetes.

OpenShift users would be best served by nimble vendors, like Nethopper.io, which provide a robust yet cost-effective operational solution for OpenShift workloads. With Nethopper KAOPS, OpenShift users can easily and securely manage and operate all their OpenShift Kubernetes clusters in any hybrid/multi-cloud environment.

Best Operational Platform Engineering for OpenShift

When it comes to DevOps platform engineering, OpenShift users have:

• Option #1: Nethopper KAOPS for OpenShift, a comprehensive GitOps-based cloud-native DevOps platform for Kubernetes application operations, delivered as a service, and available now.

• Option #2: Advanced Cluster Management (ACM), incumbent Red Hat® offering (add-on) that is intended to control Kubernetes clusters and application lifecycle.

Nethopper has integrated all the operational tools, including observability, security, and GitOps to make OpenShift work better and faster for you.

In Summary...

Nethopper’s mission is to make the journey to cloud-native Kubernetes for enterprise DevOps secure, simple, and easy. With Nethopper, your DevOps/platform team can:

• Be more effective and efficient

• Leverage all the functionality they need to move faster

• Take advantage of documented best-practices

• Use the skill sets they have today.

Is Nethopper the right solution for your OpenShift implementation?

If you’d like to learn more about Nethopper or find out how to add KAOPS to your OpenShift for a truly managed Kubernetes, contact: info@nethopper.io. You can also visit our website: www.nethopper.io and follow us on LinkedIn. For a quicker response, please call: +1 (617) 819-8009.

Thanks for reading!

@ HPE Discover 2023

Lots of things are happening at the HPE Discover 2023 in Las Vegas! Just take a look at the event's agenda!

Now...what is Dan Donahue doing in Las Vegas?

Dan is attending the HPE Discover 2023 alongside Russell Sanders, Steve Libbey, and Chris Munford (a.k.a. the nethopper.io #KAOPS Dream Team)

As a recap, last September, we announced Nethopper's listing in the HPE GreenLake Marketplace. It was part of our partnership with HPE and acceptance into the HPE Partner Ready Program. Russell S. wrote a blog about it. Also, earlier this year, HPE published a joint blog that talks about when Dev and Ops became DevOps. Bottom line: we are helping enterprises to simplify, automate and protect Cloud-Native application operations.

But, not everything is about Nethopper.

A big shout-out to Boston-based Frederic Van Haren, HighFens' CTO & founder, who is a guest speaker at the HPE Discover 2023. Frederic is going speak about AI as the critical factor in the survival of modern enterprises: "Connect Tech Forum: Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and the state of AI in the enterprise."

Back to Nethopper. You must be wondering about the Nethopper KAOPS Dream Team in Vegas, right? Stay tuned for key highlights from the HPE Discover 2023 event!

Meanwhile, visit www.nethopper.io to learn how we can help enterprises, Managed Services Providers (MSPs), and Systems Integrators (SIs) to simplify Kubernetes management and operations with KAOPS.

Nethopper KAOPS is a GitOps-centric DevOps/platform engineering approach for modern applications. Check out Dan's KAOPS Technical Video Series recently published on YouTube. Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

A DevOps Dilemma - Not Built Here

By Matt Wilson

As the demand for digital transformation continues to grow, organizations are turning to DevOps professionals to help them modernize their applications and scale their infrastructure. However, despite the availability of platform tools designed to make this process easier, DevOps teams still are reluctant to use them. Why is this the case?

At its core, there is a desire to control DevOps projects from end to end while using tool sets curated in house. DevOps professionals are enthusiastic about their work and take pride in building infrastructure that is tailored to the specific needs of their organization. They understand the nuances of their systems and know how to perfect them for maximum performance. As a result, many DevOps professionals are reluctant to use platform tools because they feel that these tools don't provide the same level of control that they do from personally overseeing and laying hands on keyboards to run projects.

However, this mindset can create challenges when it comes to app modernization projects. These projects often require a high degree of scalability and automation, which can be difficult to achieve without the use of platform tools. By relying solely on their own ability, DevOps professionals may be limiting their ability to scale their infrastructure and meet the needs of their organization.

Another factor contributing to this reluctance is the fear of job displacement. DevOps professionals are highly skilled individuals who have invested a significant amount of time and effort in building their ability. They may feel that the use of platform tools will make their skills obsolete, potentially creating job security concerns. This fear is understandable, but it's important to recognize that platform tools are not meant to replace DevOps professionals. Rather, they are designed to augment their skills and make their jobs easier and more efficient. This creates more time for the DevOps team to build new features and functionality while not getting bogged down in the day-to-day deployment and operations.

There is also concern that investing in certain tools to support cloud-specific rollouts or Kubernetes specific tools, like AWS or RedHat OpenShift (for example) can lock in vendors and tools which can limit technical choices in the future or create technical debt. The resolution is to select a cloud and Kubernetes neutral (agnostic) platform.

One way to overcome this reluctance is to take a more collaborative approach to app modernization. Leaders need to work with their DevOps teams to find areas where platform tools can be used to streamline their workflows and improve efficiency. DevOps professionals, in turn, need to be open to using these tools and recognize that they can help them achieve their goals more effectively and, in the process, can become more valuable to their organization.

Reluctance to add platform tools reflects a passion for innovation and a desire for control over the infrastructure that supports an organization's technical operations.

The current state of the economy that is causing tech layoffs is forcing teams to do more with less and increase efficiency in the DevOps. However, it's important for DevOps professionals to recognize that platform tools can help them achieve their goals more effectively and efficiently. By collaborating with executive sponsors and IT leaders DevOps teams can allow organizations to build the infrastructure necessary to drive a cloud native approach to app modernization with platform in place.