UPDATED 11:59 EDT / NOVEMBER 16 2018

CLOUD

Containers drive networking as code, and Kubernetes shows the way

The Kubernetes container orchestration tool has redefined how software today is designed and deployed in enterprise computing — changing not only the software world, but the very notion of networking.

Prior to the introduction of Kubernetes, containers were already gaining in popularity as a method to more easily deploy software applications. Yet as microservices became the popular way to scale multiple functions across multiple machines, the network administrator was like a conductor who couldn’t manage different instruments within a symphony. Orchestration of containerized applications became necessary, and Kubernetes proved a popular solution.

The result is an open-source container management system that eliminates the manual processes required to deploy and scale containers across public, private and hybrid cloud platforms. Analysts at SiliconANGLE sister company Wikibon Inc. predict that within the next five years, 90 percent of multicloud applications will rely on Kubernetes.

This profound influence means that as applications become more distributed, the underlying code running in software-defined containerized networks will take on added significance. DevOps focus on automation and coding is pushing its way into the networking world.

“Networking as code is really starting to pick up,” said Donnie Berkholz (pictured), vice president of service delivery for enterprise IT at CWT Global B.V. (Carlson Wagonlit Travel). Berkholz spoke with John Furrier (left), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, recently at theCUBE’s studio in Palo Alto, California.

“It’s no longer that ‘build-and-operate’ mindset that you could always take a little bit more with on-premises,” Berkholz said. “If you don’t know how to deal with code, you’re going to be in a real rough spot the next time you have to make a change to that stuff that a team of consultants came in and implemented for you.”

Google enhances containers for networks

Thinking of the network as code goes hand-in-hand with the NetDevOps movement, the process of collaboration and communications between network architects, developers and operations staff. Major cloud players, such as Google LLC, are beginning to make enhancements to Kubernetes functionality in recognition of this.

The search giant unveiled new features at its Cloud Next conference in London last month, which added container-native load balancing for applications running on the Google Kubernetes Engine. As developers build apps on Google’s cloud using software containers, they can program load balancers with network endpoints.

This ability to load balance across cloud networks, by ramping up and down as needed, is also beginning to have an impact in the adoption of Kubernetes by previously risk-averse verticals, such as healthcare networks. The capability of containers in the cloud to securely and reliably transmit protected health information is gaining traction among hospital administrators.

Application failure is a major headache for health IT professionals because it can impact the quality of patient care. Kubernetes offers a self-remedying environment where faulty applications can be automatically replaced and transferred to a new container — one less worry for network administrators.

Open-source, skill sets on the rise

As vice president of IT service delivery for Carlson Wagonlit, Berkholz is fully aware of the many open-source tools that can improve network functionality. In addition to his executive role, Berkholz is the program chair for the Linux Foundation’s Open Source Summit.

One example of the impact made by open-source tools can be found in Ansible, Red Hat Inc.’s network automation technology. Ansible provides Red Hat customers with the ability to deploy applications to OpenShift, a leading solution for Red Hat customers who want to put Kubernetes into production. Network speed and agility, combined with new approaches to automation, are critical for the enterprise IT world.

“It’s been inevitable that the network is going to get engaged in that automation piece,” Berkholz said. “It is absolutely a big transition that more companies are going to see rolling along.”

The advances that Kubernetes can bring to network automation across the multicloud landscape are also transforming the skill set required of people in the NetDevOps world. This has overlapped into the ecosystem of traditional banking as exemplified by Capital One Financial Corp., where 2 percent of all Amazon Web Services-certified developers work for that one bank.

This skills transformation can be seen in demand for Kubernetes experience as well. Security software company CyberArk Software Ltd. recently reported that demand for Kubernetes skills has grown 752 percent over the past 24 months.

The challenge facing IT executives is how to transition existing staff running on-premises networks and security into new roles where networking as code becomes the central focus. “How do we get them up to speed and turn them into real software engineers?” Berkholz mused. “That’s a multi-year journey.”

The growth of networking as code and the rising influence of a major force such as Kubernetes provides yet another chapter in the ongoing evolution of open source. That story is currently being rewritten by major names in the tech industry, as demonstrated by the purchase last month of Red Hat Inc. by IBM Corp. for $34 billion.

Facebook opens kernel tools

Social media companies have also been notably active in the open-source community. In late October, Facebook Inc. open-sourced a set of its kernel tools to help others who might be interested in a more efficient way to manage Linux servers.

The rise of open-source represents the metamorphosis of enterprise tech from buy to build to rent and, now, adopt.

“Now, you can hardly turn around and not see a company with some sort of open-source program office,” Berkholz noted. “CIOs are seeing the business value in adopting open source and have a really healthy approach to it. Every thousand lines of code we can adopt is a thousand lines of code we don’t have to write.”

Here’s the entire video interview with Berkholz, one of many CUBE Conversations by SiliconANGLE and theCUBE.

Photo: SiliconANGLE

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