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.
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.
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!