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Upgrade Kubernetes and Manage App Dependencies

Solution for Cloud Cost Reduction

KAOPS upgrades Kubernetes and dependencies seamlessly using a Canary approach

The Kubernetes Upgrade Challenge

Kubernetes is an open-source software program.  No matter which Kubernetes you use, you’ll need to regularly upgrade to the latest version to get the latest features or security patches. 


But, can you be sure that your production apps and tools will run in the new version of Kubernetes? 


Your apps and tools might depend on a particular version of Kubernetes and its API to run properly. 


Miscalculate one of those dependencies, and your apps will crash. 


The Automated Kubernetes Upgrade Solution

Nethopper KAOPS uses an innovative “Canary cluster”approach to reduce the risk and time to accomplish your upgrades. 


KAOPS accounts for all the dependencies, including:

  • Cloud environment

  • Kubernetes distro

  • K8s Version

  • Infrastructure choice (compute, storage, network)

  • Your app/workload versions, tooling versions, IAM, etc.  KAOPS hitless “Canary cluster” approach allows you to update live production with confidence, and roll back if needed.


With KAOPS, you can: 


  • Reduce upgrade operations by >60% (1-2 Full time employees)

  • Improve application availability by 90% (e.g. from 99.0 to 99.9%)

  • Maintain support for your Kubernetes version with your cloud provider

  • Eliminate security vulnerabilities

 

Explore how Nethopper KAOPS can help you.

Download Solution Brief

 

Solution Details


Developing a modern application is a lot of work, often by a large team of people. 


The focus of your team is on the effort of writing and testing the code to launch the application (Day1). However, the app will only launch once, but then needs to be operated and upgraded many times for years to come (Day2). 


Without careful planning, the cost of Day2 can be just as high as Day1, keeping expenses high or increasing forever, and consuming top talent for the long term.


Upgrades are often thought of as just a change to application code. But there are dependencies on the environment and tooling versions that will need to be upgraded over time, as well. 


For example, the servers the apps run on will need hardware or operating system upgrades. 

  • The Kubernetes version will need to be upgraded as Kubernetes matures. 

  • The open-source tools supporting the applications, for security, observability, networking, etc versions will need to be upgraded. 

  • All of these upgradeable components need to work with each other, and can’t be upgraded in a vacuum, without considering the dependencies on the other components.


Solution requirements:


  • KAOPS (cloud native management platform)

  • Production and Canary cluster instances

  • Comparison of the differences

  • Testing in the Canary cluster

  • Migrating traffic to the Canary

  • Possible reversion.


KAOPS enables you to:


  • Reduce cloud bill by 20-60%

  • Reduce cloud operations cost by 60%

  • Optimize workload performance

  • Attain green energy savings


 

How KAOPS does it


KAOPS is a cloud native CMP that works with any cloud and kubernetes, which uses GitOps blueprints to simplify cloud operations and deploy container workload and cloud native tools. 


KAOPS has a blueprint for cloning a Production into a Canary cluster, where the application and all its dependencies can be upgraded and tested….


 


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