Sunday, July 10, 2022

Amazon, Google Boost Kubernetes Bare Metal Bandwagon

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google both recently rolled out production-ready versions of their Kubernetes-based container management systems that support those deployments in on-premises bare metal environments. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google both recently rolled out production-ready versions of their Kubernetes-based container management systems that support those deployments in on-premises bare metal environments. The moves highlight the ongoing need by public cloud giants in supporting enterprise on-premises needs. This was highlighted by a recent Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) survey that found edge developers preferred to host their code equally in on-premises servers as they did in either a private cloud or public cloud environment. All three environments were well ahead of hosting that code in a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environment. “The figures suggest that developers working on edge applications relying on Kubernetes gravitate toward a more secure and less complex infrastructure,” that survey noted. AWS is tackling that challenge based on a recent update to its Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) Anywhere platform. The cloud giant is now offering the ability for customers to run that platform on their bare metal environments. This allows those users to automate their on-premises Kubernetes deployments from hardware provisioning to running Kubernetes-managed clusters. The AWS offering supports all of the EKS Anywhere components and integrated third-party software with AWS providing a single source of support. Deepak Singh, VP of compute services at AWS, explained in an interview with SDxCentral that the bare metal deployment model provides a deeper level of customization for users. He described those use cases as “ranging from managing licensing costs, to trying to get better density, to sometimes performance benefits like getting access to low-level hardware capabilities.” The option also allows customers to better manage data sovereignty laws that require them to maintain strict control over their data while still tapping into an AWS-managed Kubernetes’ container management service. AWS initially unveiled its Everywhere updates to EKS and its Elastic Container Service (ECS) during its re:Invent show in late 2020. The overall concept was to expand the environment where customers could run those platforms. The cloud giant launched the initial public version of that platform last September, with a focus on running the platform on-premises using VMware’s vSphere platform. Google’s efforts are based around its rapidly expanding Distributed Cloud (GDC) ecosystem. The cloud giant recently rolled out its GDC Virtual option that brings Google’s Anthos bare metal and VMware vSphere work into GDC. GDC Virtual is being offered as a software and services package only. Customers bring their own on-premises bare metal hardware to host the platform. Richard Seroter, director of outbound product management at Google Cloud, explained in an email to SDxCentral that GDC Virtual is targeted at enterprises that “have specific hardware, security, and locality requirements, which make on-premises data centers the best place for them to run.” GDC Virtual also sits alongside the previously launched GDC Edge and Hosted offerings. GDC Edge hit general availability in April, targeting telecom providers wanting to run 5G core and radio access network (RAN) assets at the edge. It includes hardware and software components. GDC Hosted is designed to run sensitive workloads, and supports public-sector customers and commercial entities that have strict data residency, security, or privacy requirements. It’s fully managed by the customer and does not require connectivity to Google Cloud at any time to manage infrastructure, services, APIs, or tooling. Others have also been jumping on the on-premises and bare metal bandwagon. VMware late last month updated its stalwart vSphere and vSAN products to help enterprises manage those platforms in on-premises or private cloud environments. That move taps into VMware’s Kubernetes-focused Tanzu Standard product to help manage and run container-based applications on-premises, in a public cloud, or at an edge location. And Ericsson has been advancing the cost benefits of Kubernetes running on bare metal for telecom operators as being easier than running a virtualized infrastructure. “The major contributor to the [total cost of ownership] advantage for Kubernetes over bare metal infrastructure is related to recurring software costs,” the vendor noted in a blog post. “There is no virtualization layer in the bare metal infrastructure solution and this can result in a 41% cost reduction due to less software fees.”

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