Effective container strategies: Future-proof with Cloud Native

Agility, DevOps, containers, OpenShift – how can their advantages be optimally utilised at company level? Our second Business Breakfast in 2024, this time in collaboration with VSHN, provided the answers.

On Wednesday, 19 June 2024, we hosted a Business Breakfast together with our long-standing partner for container technologies VSHN on the topic of “Future-proof through cloud native: successful container strategies (and how to avoid pitfalls)”. Our experts explained how project managers can successfully plan and implement container environments.

The importance of cloud native

Aarno Aukia, partner and co-founder of VSHN – The DevOps Company, kicked off the morning with an introduction to the cloud native approach and its importance for modern organisations. The term “cloud native” stands for a modern way of operating online services using cloud infrastructure, containers and orchestration. The global ecosystem of open source software is used for implementation. In this context, the word “cloud” does not necessarily mean “hyperscaler” such as AWS, Google Cloud, Azure & Co. Many companies rely on their own internal cloud infrastructure or procure dedicated private cloud as a PaaS service. In doing so, they utilise cloud native principles to provide innovative services in line with the DevOps philosophy. He emphasised that cloud-native approaches offer the flexibility and scalability needed to remain competitive in today’s fast-moving business world. The use of container technologies such as Kubernetes or OpenShift enables companies to manage their applications more efficiently and respond more quickly to market changes. The key features of a cloud-native application include:

1. Automation: Applications are standardised in such a way that they can be tested, deployed and, to a certain extent, managed automatically by machines.
2. Flexibility: Containerised applications can be run in different environments without changes.
3. Scalability and Resilience: Cloud native applications are highly available thanks to redundancy, graceful degradation and continuous monitoring.
4. Observability: Applications transmit all telemetry data required to monitor their functionality in real time to a monitoring and logging system. This allows teams to react proactively to problems and plan capacities and costs.
5. Distributed: Applications are no longer deployed as monolithic instances, but as a network of collaborative microservices.

Successful implementation of cloud native

The main aspects that need to be considered when designing and implementing container strategies were also presented. A key topic was the importance of well thought-out planning and architecture. Because: “The architecture is what is difficult to change.” (Quote from Dylan Beattie) The underlying architecture has a decisive influence on the way in which the components are put together and the application is operated: “It is a completely different environment to the classic server-based infrastructures of the past.”

The architecture also plays an important role because container platforms offer numerous functions for reliability and scalability. However, the applications must also be ready for this. Well-designed cloud-native applications therefore require careful design of the microservices with clear responsibility boundaries and quality metrics. Aarno emphasised that a thorough analysis of the existing IT infrastructure and a clear definition of the objectives are essential in order to make the implementation successful. He also pointed out that the aspects of security and compliance must be integrated into the process right from the start.

Avoiding pitfalls: Practical tips and checklist

Another highlight of the Business Breakfast was the presentation of a checklist for developers. This aims to help them avoid typical pitfalls and ensure that their projects fulfil the requirements:

1. Delegate infrastructure and collaboration to platforms
2. Assess (or have assessed) architecture for cloud-native suitability
3. Automate deployment and operational processes
4. External audit of operating platform and configuration

Advantages of cloud native for companies

Finally, the speakers and guests once again discussed the many benefits that result from implementing cloud native. Companies can increase their efficiency, reduce costs and shorten the time-to-market of their products. In addition, the increased flexibility enables faster adaptation to changing market conditions and customer requirements. We also had the opportunity to address specific questions from participants and resolve individual pain points in a targeted manner

Our event impressively demonstrated how important it is to continuously invest in modern technologies and strategies in order to remain competitive in the long term. Particular attention is paid to private cloud environments, whose highly secure and compliant operation is one of our core services. Especially in combination with cloud-native technologies, private clouds offer the ideal framework for stability, control and adaptability – essential for future-proof IT infrastructures.

Cloud native meets private cloud: flexibility with security

Companies benefit from the combination of state-of-the-art cloud-native principles and a stable, compliant hosting environment. Our private cloud solutions not only offer the necessary flexibility for innovative applications, but also fulfil the highest security and compliance requirements.