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KubeSphere Now Available as AWS Quick Start

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by Mike Vizard

The development team behind KubeSphere announced it is available as an AWS QuickStart. KubeSphere is an open source platform for managing Kubernetes environments, and the collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Quick Start will simplify integration with third-party offerings through the Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS).

Ray Zhou, head of the KubeSphere project, says the goal is to make it possible to deploy KubeSphere in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) environment running on the AWS cloud. KubeSphere was originally developed by QingCloud, a cloud service provider based in China.

KubeSphere uses a set of wizards, based on the open source KubeKey installer and accessed via a web user interface, that enable IT teams to deploy Kubernetes alongside other components needed to stand up a complete environment. This approach simplifies Kubernetes lifecycle management by using a plug-and-play platform architecture to add support for additional components as IT teams see fit, Zhou says.

In effect, KubeSphere is a distributed operating system for Kubernetes environments that includes an instance of open source Jenkins continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) software, an application store for deploying applications using Helm Charts and observability tools along with an instance of Porter load balancing software. It also supports GlusterFS, CephRBD, NFS, LocalPV storage, as well as other plugins compatible with the Container Storage Interface (CSI).

Zhou says the core KubeSphere plug-and-play architecture will soon be extended to simplify adding additional backend services and cloud platforms.

Kubesphere is trying to challenge rival Kubernetes management platforms like Rancher Labs, (recently acquired by SUSE) in addition to proprietary Kubernetes lifecycle management approaches. KubeSphere’s wizards make it possible for IT teams to manage fleets of Kubernetes clusters along with service meshes, observability tools and application life cycle management (ALM) tools via the application store.

A recent survey published by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) notes that complexity and cultural change are the top two challenges organizations face when migrating to Kubernetes environments. Cloud service providers have been at the forefront of deploying Kubernetes at scale, and KubeSphere is essentially a dividend of that effort.

One day, perhaps, KubeSphere could be donated to a consortium and controlled through an independent governing body. Regardless of who owns the platform, however, KubeSphere provides a model for what’s truly required to manage a Kubernetes environment at scale.

The next challenge IT organizations will face is aligning their often isolated internal cultures to rapidly converging and evolving management platforms.

Mike Vizard

Mike Vizard is a veteran IT journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering the technology industry, having previously served as Editor-in-Chief of both CRN and InfoWorld and as editorial director for Ziff-Davis Enterprise, where he oversaw titles including eWEEK, CIO Insight and Baseline. Over his career he has also edited or contributed to a wide range of enterprise technology publications, including IT Business Edge, Channel Insider, ComputerWorld, TMCNet and Digital Review, and he later led editorial for CTOEdge.com. His reporting and analysis span software development, cloud computing, cybersecurity, IT channel strategy and, more recently, artificial intelligence and DevOps practices. A recognized voice in enterprise IT journalism, Vizard is known for tracking emerging technology trends as they move from early adoption into mainstream enterprise use. He now serves as Chief Content Officer for Techstrong Group, where he oversees editorial strategy across the full network — DevOps.com, Security Boulevard, Cloud Native Now, Digital CxO, Techstrong.ai, TechStrong.IT, Techstrong Semi and PlatformEngineering.com — in addition to writing and hosting content for Techstrong TV and the Techstrong Gang podcast.

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