7 Questions to Ask Before Migrating to Kubernetes

Introduction

As the adoption of Kubernetes as a container orchestration platform continues to surge, numerous organizations are contemplating the migration of their applications to Kubernetes. This surge has primarily been driven by the desire to leverage the benefits that Kubernetes offers, such as the ability to streamline and automate the deployment, management, and scaling of containerized applications. However, before taking the plunge, it is crucial for companies to ask themselves the right questions and thoroughly assess the implications of adopting Kubernetes. 

This article presents seven key questions that organizations should consider before migrating to Kubernetes. Careful consideration of these questions will allow organizations to make an informed decision and ensure a successful migration that aligns with their specific business needs and objectives.

Q1: Why Adopt Kubernetes?

The adoption of Kubernetes requires a thorough understanding of its complexity and suitability for your organization’s specific needs. Consider whether your application relies on numerous containers that require intercommunication or if you have a multi-service architecture that demands rapid horizontal scaling. This will help assess whether Kubernetes provides the necessary capabilities for efficient management and scalability of your applications.

Additionally, it is also important to evaluate the necessity of transitioning from a monolithic architecture (self-contained and independent from other applications). This will help determine if Kubernetes aligns with your architectural goals and supports your desired level of flexibility and modularity. 

Q2: Will Kubernetes Improve Service Delivery Speed?

While many tech companies have experienced accelerated application deployment with Kubernetes, it is crucial for you to assess whether its adoption will genuinely enhance or impede your organization’s service delivery speed. Factors such as insufficient expertise in Kubernetes and application orchestration, lack of automation, and slow testing processes can potentially slow down deployment. It is essential to consider these factors before committing to Kubernetes as your chosen solution.

Q3: Will the Kubernetes Release Cycle be an Issue?

Kubernetes is a rapidly evolving technology, with major updates occurring approximately three times a year, alongside frequent minor updates. It is crucial to ensure that your Kubernetes architecture remains aligned with each release. Kubernetes support for previous APIs is limited to the last two versions, highlighting the importance of staying up to date. Selecting the appropriate Kubernetes version from the outset and having a skilled team ready to update your clusters as new versions are released will ensure that you can leverage the latest API support and other benefits offered by Kubernetes.

Q4: Will Kubernetes Reduce Costs?

While there are alternative methods to run applications with multiple services such as deploying EC2 instances and configuring them individually or opting for a serverless approach, these approaches can be cumbersome, costly, and inefficient. Orchestrating with Kubernetes provides a more cost-efficient solution.

Q5: Who Will Manage the Security of the Kubernetes Clusters?

Before migrating to Kubernetes, it is essential to address security considerations from the outset to mitigate common threats. Your team should possess the capability to design a resilient Kubernetes infrastructure that safeguards against failure. Failure to ensure the security of your Kubernetes cluster may result in a disruptive transition that adversely affects application delivery.

Q6: What is the Internal Experience Level With Kubernetes?

Implementing Kubernetes without the expertise of skilled team members can lead to wasted time and resources, potentially compromising your infrastructure. It is advisable to invest in acquiring the necessary knowledge of Kubernetes, either through training or hiring experienced professionals. Many organizations initially deploy Kubernetes in testing environments before moving to production, allowing for learning and skill development.

Q7: What is the Database Management Plan?

Database management is often overlooked when considering Kubernetes adoption. While Kubernetes theoretically supports running databases, the platform has not been designed to effectively run databases. 

Incorrectly managing databases in a Kubernetes environment can have severe consequences, including data loss. As a general rule, when utilizing Kubernetes on cloud service providers such as AWS, GCP, or Azure, it is advisable to leverage their managed database services rather than running databases independently for production workloads. Taking the time to consider and gain experience in this area is crucial for making informed decisions.

For more information, we recommend reading this article from the Google Cloud blog that discusses the topic of running databases on Kubernetes in detail. 

Summary: Migrating to Kubernetes

Migrating to Kubernetes is a significant decision that requires careful consideration of various factors. This article has presented the essential questions to ask before embarking on a Kubernetes migration journey. Understanding the specific needs of an organization and evaluating the potential benefits and limitations of Kubernetes is crucial to making an informed decision.

By addressing the reasons for adopting Kubernetes and assessing its impact on service delivery speed, cost reduction, and security, organizations can determine whether Kubernetes is the right solution for their unique requirements. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that a successful migration to Kubernetes necessitates a comprehensive understanding of its complexities, potential challenges, and the resources required to ensure its effective implementation and maintenance. 

By thoroughly examining these questions, organizations can embrace Kubernetes with confidence and unlock its transformative capabilities to drive innovation, scalability, and agility in their application deployments.

Streamlining Kubernetes Adoption with EKS and EKS Blueprints

In the context of migrating to Kubernetes, it is important to mention Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and EKS Blueprints. EKS is a managed Kubernetes service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS that offers a simplified and scalable solution for running Kubernetes clusters. 

EKS Blueprints further simplify the process of adopting Kubernetes by offering preconfigured templates for common application architectures and use cases. These blueprints provide a starting point for organizations looking to deploy applications on EKS by encapsulating best practices, architectural patterns, and security configurations. EKS Blueprints help reduce the complexity of setting up and managing Kubernetes clusters, allowing organizations to accelerate their migration process and get their applications up and running quickly.

By leveraging EKS, organizations can benefit from the scalability, reliability, and flexibility of Kubernetes without the burden of managing the underlying infrastructure. EKS blueprints provide a streamlined path to adopting Kubernetes and enable organizations to focus on their core business objectives and application development while AWS handles the operational aspects of running Kubernetes clusters.

Next Steps

Migrating to Kubernetes can be a complex undertaking, especially for organizations that are new to EKS. In such cases, teaming up with an experienced AWS Partner like TrackIt can significantly simplify the migration process and ensure a successful transition.

TrackIt, as an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner specializing in Modern Software Development possesses deep expertise and experience in Kubernetes and can provide valuable guidance throughout the migration journey. With TrackIt’s assistance, organizations can accelerate their EKS migration and gain access to ongoing support and optimization services, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to the Kubernetes ecosystem.

About TrackIt

TrackIt is an Amazon Web Services Advanced Tier Services Partner specializing in cloud management, consulting, and software development solutions based in Marina del Rey, CA. 

TrackIt specializes in Modern Software Development, DevOps, Infrastructure-As-Code, Serverless, CI/CD, and Containerization with specialized expertise in Media & Entertainment workflows, High-Performance Computing environments, and data storage.

In addition to providing cloud management, consulting, and modern software development services, TrackIt also provides an open-source AWS cost management tool that allows users to optimize their costs and resources on AWS.