Netris Kubernetes Networking Manifesto
The network exists for the sole purpose of connecting applications together. Getting to do that is, at times, very hard. Too many features, too many knobs. Especially at the physical network level.
In the cloud, networking is easy. The network is just there, and it works without you needing to manage the details. You only need to define what you want the network to do for you, and it just does. Cloud empowers you to be focused on your core business rather than wasting your precious time on the underlying implementation of the infrastructure.
Some things can’t be in the cloud. Some data needs to stay local. Either because of proximity to the source of data or the cost of shuttling the data between private infrastructure and the cloud. Sometimes due to the sensitivity of the data or regulations.
Your team is used to the cloud and has been used to modern cloud tools like Kubernetes, Terraform, etc. You don’t want to go back to the old switch CLI to manage your network. And your old automation scripts are way too old school for the modern DevOps. You want the same cloud experience, just in your private environment, a hosting facility, or at the edge.
Is it possible? The short answer is Yes. But the longer answer flirts with the devil that is in the details.
Kubernetes is the new de-facto infrastructure API.
But you still need a physical network for connecting your servers, Internet carriers, Internet exchange points. You need to load balance traffic. You need a secure and stable network. You need NetOps that not only understands your Kubernetes but is “Kubernetes” at its core.
The challenge with the network always was the operation. The need for specialized skill sets, slow change/implementation cycles, high risk of manual errors. Tiny mistakes in network configuration can lead to significant failures. Traditional network operations are the opposite of the cloud experience. Cloud has a physical network underneath too. Can’t your physical network be as safe and straightforward as in the cloud?
Imagine this: the network with Kubernetes APIs that works like Kubernetes. Forget touching complicated details of networking protocols. Manage clusters, namespaces, and pods. You describe network topology, addressing schemes, how to get to the internet, and your other assets in the cloud, private or public – all without any need for diving into the network configuration. Then, every network component picks the requirements and automatically generates an assured and safe configuration. And your network is ready to serve your applications. No need to deal with tedious device configuration of the underlying network infrastructure — switches, routers, load balancers, … Your network is there for your apps. Always safely configured. Immediately available, Just like the cloud.
We loved this idea so much that we made it real.
Netris is the new automatic NetOps for Kubernetes. It runs your physical network automatically. It makes network operations simple, just like the cloud. Dozens of local cloud deployments are already enabled by Netris, and we are just getting started.
