Introduction
In this article, let us learn how to employ Containerization to improve the flexibility in delivering services and therefore achieve Managed DevOps services.
Containerization and Kubernetes’ ability to provide flexibility and agility has gone to the top of the agenda for service organisations, and the focus is now on containerization and Kubernetes’ ability to accomplish just that. Despite the fact that both improve service operations, neither has a substantial impact on technician or client comfort.
The use of apps to operate household appliances has become more common. Everything from lighting to temperature control to just turning on the oven can now be done by hitting the right button on your smartphone from the comfort of your own bedroom or vehicle.
A mismatch of cultures is frequently a challenge to service organisations, from acquisitions to operating alongside OEMs, distributors, or aftermarket parts makers. As a result, a service provider’s plan may suffer as a result of the accumulation of improper software.
Furthermore, service delivery does not fit neatly into a box and encompasses a wide range of companies that serve end users with home or mobile services. The purpose of service-enablement software is to improve the service process by assisting in the completion of the desired activity rather than by interfering with the outcome in any way. However, because of this level of complexity, many service providers fail to manage their teams so that they can properly employ the technology available to them.
For instance, an HVAC installation company won’t be able to effectively manage the time of key specialists if they can only plan their projects three weeks ahead of time and can’t update them on delivery day. Changes can happen due to illness, a recent higher-priority outage, or any other unforeseen circumstances, but if the software isn’t adaptive, it’s worse than utilising pen and paper. It’s a significant stumbling block that could cost you, consumers. Therefore, it is essential to maintain customer satisfaction by ensuring flexibility in service delivery and achieve Managed DevOps Services.
What is Containerization?
Before we learn about how containerization helps in improving flexibility in service delivery, let us first understand what containerization is….
Containerization is the technique of isolating an application from its surroundings. By doing so, you can take a single application and run it in any number of different environments without making any changes to the code. This means that you can deploy an application on a development server, test server, and production server without having to make any changes to the code. Containerization is made possible by using a container engine such as Docker. Docker allows you to create containers from images that are stored in a registry. Containerization also makes it easier to manage and deploy applications, as well as replicate them across multiple servers.
Containerization: Probably the best approach for service providers
The service industry must rethink containerized apps to stay ahead of the curve, and now is the time to do so. According to Gartner, by 2023, 70% of global organisations would be running more than two containerized apps, up from 20% in 2019. Containerization, in its most basic form, means that software is packaged with all auxiliary processes and made available for deployment at the end user’s choosing.
Containerization enables service providers to add additional flexibility lower in the value chain, whether through reverse or last-mile logistics, virtual or augmented reality, or other methods.
Cloud Computing and Containers work wonders when employed together
A cloud-first software solution can relieve service organisations of the IT burden of managing upkeep, upgrades, licences, and operations. A natively cloud-based containerized product, on the other hand, may be packed and deployed on a home server with the same internal structure, APIs, and effect. Even the deployment of service software necessitates adaptability based on the needs of the user.
Some service providers, perhaps for regulatory reasons, simply insist that their solutions be handled on-premises. Others have their own cloud space that they would like to use. Others may be able to make the switch to the cloud. None of these alternatives, or any other adoption variant, are incorrect. They merely want software that enables them to be as adaptable as they desire.
Kubernetes: A platform that promotes utmost Flexibility in Resource Utilisation
If the appropriate containerized software is chosen, organisations can begin to adjust their strategies with greater flexibility and a smoother process along the value chain. This could entail establishing a new business model (such as reverse logistics) or new technician technologies for expert-to-expert or expert-to-customer communication, such as augmented and virtual reality.
What is Kubernetes?
Now let us learn about Kubernetes.
Kubernetes is a free and open source platform for containerization. It’s a must-have for cloud computing since it simplifies system design, enhances reliability, speeds up software release, and maximises compute resource efficiency. According to a VMware survey, Kubernetes benefited 95% of users, with 56 per cent claiming better resource utilisation.
Service providers can use Kubernetes-enabled software to get new features and capabilities to market and into the hands of their consumers faster. As a result, businesses may respond swiftly to changes in the market and regulatory environment, and even turn that agility into a competitive advantage that benefits the end user in a variety of ways.
Other Benefits of Containerization
Besides flexible service delivery, there are several other benefits that Containerization provides.
Below is the list of several benefits of Containerization:
- Portability: Because a container bundles all dependencies, you can transport your software almost anywhere without having to rewrite it to accommodate a different environment.
- Efficiency: One of the most successful virtualization approaches available to programmers is containerization. Containers improve efficiency in two ways: they maximise the use of all available resources while lowering overhead.
- Agility: Containerization is an important part of DevOps processes. Containers may be swiftly generated and deployed in any environment, and they can be used to solve a wide range of DevOps issues.
- Enhanced security: Because of the isolation it creates, containerization adds an added layer of protection. Because containers are isolated from one another, you can be sure that your apps are running in their own self-contained environment.
- The startup time of the app has been lowered: When compared to other virtualization methods like VMs, containers are extremely light. One of the many advantages of being lightweight is the ability to start up quickly. A container can start up almost instantaneously since it does not utilise a hypervisor or a virtualized operating system to access computing resources.
- Better and easy management: Containerization allows programmers to run their applications in either a virtualized or bare-metal environment. Containerization may scale to suit any deployment requirements.
- Flexibility: Kubernetes contains a number of tools that make container administration easier, such as rollbacks and upgrades, as part of the platform. It also looks after the setup. Kubernetes also automates resource management. You can allocate a specified amount of CPU and RAM to each container in order for it to perform its functions. Finally, managing containers with a platform like Kubernetes is a lot easier than with traditional application management approaches.
Conclusion
Now is the time for businesses to take advantage of containerization’s many benefits. The benefits in terms of bettering and strengthening service delivery are obvious. Containers and Kubernetes can let companies scale up services in real-time based on customer demand and provide clear visibility to customers and staff. Containers and Kubernetes can provide a number of advantages, such as enhanced efficiency, rapid adaptability, and flexibility. Therefore, Flexible Service Delivery becomes a Reality with Containerization which eventually assists in achieving Managed DevOps Services.