This is Part 2 of a two-part series on cloud repatriation. In The Shift to Cloud Repatriation: Why Organizations are Making the Change – Part 1 we delved into the significance of edge computing and data sovereignty when considering repatriation highlighting the strategic benefits of maintaining control over data. But another key factor is the growing popularity of Kubernetes, the next evolution in application deployment and management. An open source container orchestration platform that offers organizations an appealing combination of flexibility and control, Kubernetes helps companies more dynamically size for each application, while managing costs and improving performance.
Vice President of Private Cloud at Rackspace.
Kubernetes and containers: A new era of flexibility and efficiency
Although containers are billed as lightweight alternatives to full virtual machines, they pack a massive punch. From small ephemeral apps to large scale stateful workloads, containers give organizations the ability to encapsulate applications in a consistent environment, eliminating software configuration conflicts and ensuring reliable performance across different platforms. Kubernetes serves as a powerful open-source controller or orchestration platform for containers, enabling developers to manage and scale applications seamlessly.
Because Kubernetes is open source, it is accessible to anyone at any time. Whether you are operating racks of enterprise-class servers or a couple of mini PCs in a retail closet, Kubernetes can adapt and function seamlessly. This universal compatibility, flexibility, and ease of use allows developers to create, manage, and scale applications, free of the constraints traditionally imposed by specific hardware or software environments.
An additional point of appeal is the standardization that Kubernetes offers. Developers can write applications, encapsulate them into containers, and replicate these containers endlessly with consistent results. This eliminates the headache of dealing with conflicting operating systems or applications that might override critical data. Containers ensure a digitally perfect copy of a known good application, which can be deployed as many times as needed without variation.
All of the major hyperscalers have developed advanced tools around Kubernetes, but the core value of Kubernetes remains its open-source foundation and the fact that it doesn’t bind organizations to a single cloud provider. Kubernetes also provides organizations with the ability to move configurations across different environments – including public clouds, private clouds, or even on-premises servers – that is the true game-changer. This enables businesses to avoid a lock-in with any single cloud provider, offering the freedom to choose the most cost-effective and efficient solution for each workload.
Workload portability: the Kubernetes advantage
Prior to Kubernetes, moving applications and workloads between different environments was cumbersome and costly, and continuously using public cloud resources for stable, long-running applications was not cost-effective. Now organizations can evaluate their computing needs and optimize costs by transferring workloads to the most appropriate channel, balancing cost and performance. Stable applications with predictable usage patterns can benefit from the cost savings of a private cloud, avoiding the premium costs associated with on-demand public cloud resources.
Still, not all applications are suited for private clouds. Applications with sporadic, high compute needs, such as running one-time machine learning algorithms on large datasets, are ideal for the public cloud because they allow businesses to leverage significant computing power for short periods without long-term commitments. Conversely, applications that require continuous operation and low latency, such as incident management systems or real-time financial applications, are better suited for private clouds.
Think about it this way: public clouds excel in providing resources for applications that can be turned off when not in use, saving costs during idle periods. But for applications that must run 24/7, private clouds offer more predictable pricing and lower total cost of ownership. Additionally, private cloud provides greater flexibility and lower costs for data transfer and connectivity, making them more cost effective for moving large volumes of data between different locations.
The multi-cloud paradigm is here to stay, driven by the need for flexibility, cost optimization, and performance. During the pandemic, many organizations rushed to public clouds due to immediate needs and external pressures. But it has become clear that relying on a single provider is not a sustainable long-term strategy. Cost concerns, latency issues, and the inability to move workloads freely have underscored the limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach.
By carefully evaluating workloads and leveraging the strengths of both public and private clouds, businesses can achieve the best performance, lowest cost, and ultimately drive better business outcomes. The future lies in this hybrid, multi-cloud approach, where the right strategy can make all the difference.
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