UPDATED 09:30 EDT / DECEMBER 12 2016

INFRA

CoreOS adds automated ‘self-driving’ capabilities to Kubernetes container software

CoreOS Inc. pioneered the idea of automatic updates with its software container-focused operating system Container Linux. Now, the company is looking to do the same thing with Kubernetes, the popular container orchestration software, in a new update to CoreOS Tectonic.

CoreOS Tectonic is an enterprise-grade version of Kubernetes that’s used for deploying, managing and securing application containers anywhere they reside. The new feature, which CoreOS calls “self-driving Kubernetes,” means Tectonic now has the same ability for automatic updates as seen in Container Linux. By using this self-driving infrastructure, organizations will be able to ensure their containerized application clusters are secure and up-to-date, sporting all of the latest features and critical patches, the company said.

CoreOS justifies the need for a self-driving Kubernetes platform by saying it’s essential for organizations to keep up with the advanced rate of innovation in the open-source community. Updates appear rapidly and consistently, and companies need to ensure they’re running the most secure version in order to take advantage of new features and ensure they’re protected against new threats.

The problem is that updating modern application infrastructure can be complex and time-consuming, which means updates are sometimes put off. With Tectonic’s new self-driving infrastructure, organizations no longer need to be concerned by the updating process, CoreOS said. Tectonic does everything at the touch of a button, it claims, making it possible to roll updates backward or forward with a click.

“Maintaining updated software in a distributed system has historically been complex and difficult to manage. Businesses are seeking infrastructure solutions that enable everything as a service with simplicity across environments in the cloud and data center,” said Gary Chen, research manager for software-defined compute at International Data Corp. “With the availability of self-driving infrastructure in CoreOS Tectonic, organizations will be able to take the next step in secure, modernized infrastructure, enabling updates without intervention in their containerized and Kubernetes environments.”

Besides the new self-driving capabilities, CoreOS Tectonic has also been updated to the most current release of Kubernetes, the company said. In addition, CoreOS has introduced new installers to help companies get the software up and running quickly and easily; a new console that allows for visual investigations of clusters, and enables operators to control the new self-driving features; and new security enhancements that can integrated with existing security frameworks.

Finally, to try and tempt businesses to use Tectonic, CoreOS said it’s now offering the platform at no cost for those who use up to 10 nodes. Enterprises will be charged on a price per node basis for using more than 10 nodes. CoreOS said the latest release of Tectonic is available immediately.

Image courtesy of CoreOS

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