Container Solutions

In many cases, new systems are now implemented as container solutions instead of virtual machines. These containerized applications allow IT specialists to dynamically adapt the containers and shift them between various data centers. Many businesses do not seek to operate the container solution as an independent system, but integrate it into the existing data center environment. This integration allows you to apply identical security policies to those used on virtual machines.

Containers – the basics

Many IT administrators have to operate containers in the data center. The requirements for doing so are often defined by the other side, e.g. by application development. But the IT department needs to consider other aspects including container security, operative monitoring and optimized resource utilization. Last but not least, the container solution needs to be kept up to date at all times.

Container solutions

There are a variety of solutions for the integrated operation of a container solution to choose from within the SDDC. As these are highly specific, the customer must precisely define their requirements in advance so that SVA’s specialists can develop the best solution. Here are some typical questions that are clarified at this stage:

• Which container solution you wish to use: Kubernetes or Docker?
• Do you require automatic scaling?
• Should there be automated test runs for new code (CI/CD pipeline integration)?
• Who is responsible for updating the environment and what are the update intervals?

Application development and operations management

Application developers are generally the drivers of container projects, as they love to keep things simple. Ideally, they would prefer to only have to access a single API interface and use it to provide themselves with a container. IT managers must also ensure that the environment operates securely and efficiently, however. This often leads to challenges between application development and operations management. To find the best-possible solution that meets all requirements, companies need to involve both sides in container projects right from the start. This is where SVA’s strengths lie.