Guide to Containers and Kubernetes for Enterprise Leaders

Containers and Kubernetes are becoming increasingly important for building cloud-native applications and enabling multi-cloud deployments. This blog post answers the most common questions that CTOs and technology leaders have about these technologies.

Benefits and Challenges

Benefits: Faster development cycles, increased developer productivity, application modernization.
Challenges: Skills gap, mature DevOps practices needed, platform selection, measuring ROI, organizational structure.

Key Findings

Over 95% of organizations will use containers in production by 2029 (up from less than 50% in 2023).
Large cloud providers and container management vendors compete fiercely.
Choosing the right platform and measuring ROI are critical for success.

Recommendations

Ensure a strong business case and develop a DevOps culture before deploying Kubernetes at scale.
Create a platform team to manage platform selection, automation, and collaboration with developers.
Consider packaged software or cloud-managed services for easier management and multicloud support.
Measure benefits with technical (velocity, release success) and business metrics (growth, cost reduction).

Top 10 FAQs with Answers

1) What are some of the key benefits of containers and Kubernetes?

A: Containers and Kubernetes offer several advantages, including:

Faster development and deployment: Containers simplify application packaging, enabling rapid deployments with frequent updates and rollbacks.
Consistent environments: Containers ensure consistent application behavior across development, testing, and production environments.
Scalability and isolation: Easily scale resources and isolate applications for improved security and stability.
Flexibility and choice: Kubernetes is backed by a vast ecosystem, providing flexibility and potentially lowering vendor lock-in.

2: What limitations and challenges should we be aware of?

A: While beneficial, containers and Kubernetes also come with challenges:

Platform complexity: Using Kubernetes for simple applications might be overkill due to its inherent complexity.
Security concerns: Deploying containers at scale requires new security models, collaboration across teams, and a mature DevSecOps process.
Automation and governance: Successful deployments necessitate extensive automation, consistent operations, and upgraded tools and processes.
Culture and skills: Building and operating containerized applications requires specific skills across development, security, and operations teams.

3: What are the common use cases for containers and Kubernetes?

A: Containers and Kubernetes are well-suited for various scenarios, including:

Microservices architecture: They provide a strong foundation for managing and scaling independent microservices.
DevOps enabler: Containers facilitate CI/CD by isolating code, simplifying modification and updates throughout the development lifecycle.
Application portability: Containers and Kubernetes enable applications to run consistently across hybrid or multicloud environments.
Legacy app modernization: Improve deployment efficiency and isolation for legacy applications.

4: Can commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) applications be deployed in containers?

A: While container support for COTS applications is increasing, it varies by vendor. Some ISVs offer strong Kubernetes support, while others might not, especially for Windows-based or enterprise applications. It’s essential to check with your COTS vendors for their containerization strategy and roadmap.

5: How do we determine which applications are good candidates for containers and Kubernetes?

A: Applications with the following characteristics are good initial candidates for containerization:

Few external dependencies
Runs on containerized infrastructure and platforms
Doesn’t require direct persistent data management
Needs frequent code changes or elastic scaling
Has a vendor-supported container image (if a COTS application)

6: How do we measure the ROI of our container deployments?

A: Carefully consider both potential benefits and costs to ensure a positive return on investment:

Benefits:

Increased developer productivity
Faster deployments and improved IT efficiency
Reduced operational overhead

Costs:

Container and platform subscriptions
Infrastructure acquisition and upgrades
Staff training and hiring
Rollout and implementation services

7: What skills and roles do we need to succeed with our Kubernetes deployment?

A: The success of your Kubernetes deployment depends on various roles, including:

Developers
Platform engineers
Build and release engineers
Security teams
Site reliability engineers (SREs)

Close collaboration and shared responsibility between developers and platform teams are crucial for successful container deployments.

8: How do we deploy Kubernetes? What are the pros and cons of various deployment models?

A: There are three main deployment models for Kubernetes:

Public Cloud Container Services: Offered by cloud providers (e.g., AWS EKS, Azure AKS, Google GKE).
- Pros: Simpler operations, faster deployment, no need to manage Kubernetes master services.
- Cons: Less control over the environment.
Container Management Software: Packaged software solutions providing Kubernetes with additional features (e.g., Red Hat OpenShift, VMware Tanzu).
- Pros: Easier consistency across hybrid/multicloud environments.
- Cons: More complex to manage than cloud services.
SaaS-Based Management Services: Manage Kubernetes clusters across environments (on-premises, multicloud).
- Pros: Operational simplicity and speed, potentially easier than software-based management.
- Cons: Vendor lock-in, limited control compared to self-managed options.

Choosing the right model depends on your needs:

Public cloud services are ideal for those prioritizing speed and simplicity.
Container management software is better for managing complex hybrid/multicloud deployments.
SaaS-based management offers a balance between ease of use and control.

Additionally, consider an upstream open-source version for maximum customization, but it requires significant expertise.

9: Who are the key Kubernetes platform vendors and startups?

A: The market includes established players with comprehensive features (listed in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant) and niche vendors with specific strengths:

Established Vendors: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Canonical, Google, Huawei, Microsoft, Mirantis, Oracle, Red Hat, SUSE, Tencent, VMware.
Startups and Niche Vendors: D2iQ, Giant Swarm, HashiCorp, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), IBM, Kubermatic, Platform9, Rafay Systems, Spectro Cloud.

10: What are the emerging trends around containers and Kubernetes?

A: Several key trends are shaping the future of containers and Kubernetes:

VM Convergence: Managing VMs and containers with a unified platform (e.g., projects like KubeVirt).
Stateful Application Support: Increased use of containers for stateful applications, enabled by Kubernetes features like Persistent Volumes (PVs) and APIs.
Edge Computing: Leveraging containers’ lightweight nature for edge environments, with distributed cloud offerings from vendors and bare-metal deployments gaining traction.
Serverless Convergence: Cloud providers offering serverless options for containerized applications (e.g., AWS Fargate, Azure Container Instances). Serverless functions are also increasingly supporting container images.
Artificial Intelligence: Intersection of AI and containers in two ways:
- New projects like Kubeflow for orchestrating AI workflows within Kubernetes.
- Large language models for automating and simplifying Kubernetes deployments and operations.

Emerging Trends

VM convergence: Managing VMs and containers with a unified approach.
Stateful application support: Running stateful workloads in containers with Kubernetes.
Edge computing: Utilizing containers for lightweight edge deployments.
Serverless convergence: Running containers in a serverless environment.
Artificial intelligence: Using AI to automate Kubernetes deployments and operations.