Distributing Your Replicated Kubernetes Appliance as a Virtual Appliance
Chuck D’Antonio discusses the concept of distributing a Replicated Kubernetes application as a full virtual appliance for end customers. He explains that using Replicated’s Embedded Cluster simplifies Kubernetes management, eliminating uncertainties related to the cluster and the team handling it. Chuck explores how packaging the entire application, including the cluster and operating system, into a virtual appliance ensures a consistent deployment experience. By deploying an OVA template in VMware vSphere, administrators can set up the appliance without needing extensive Kubernetes or OS knowledge. This approach minimizes potential issues related to permissions, file systems, and host dependencies, creating a seamless ClickOps experience.
Chuck demonstrates how to build the virtual appliance using Packer and an Ubuntu ISO, automating the process through a Makefile that integrates with the Vendor Portal. The appliance is designed for air-gapped environments, ensuring a standardized setup that removes OS-level variability. Once deployed, it simplifies the installation process for customers, who only need to configure basic settings. Chuck emphasizes that while this is not an officially supported product, it provides a robust starting point for companies looking to streamline Kubernetes application deployment. He encourages users to try it out and provide feedback, as further refinement could lead to broader adoption in the future.
For a more in-depth understanding, you can watch the full video below:
KNIME's Approach to Smarter Testing with Compatibility Matrix
SJ Porter, a Senior Site Reliability Engineer from Knime, details how Compatibility Matrix (CMX) has been instrumental in streamlining automated testing within the organization. In Jenkins, CMX provisions test clusters, installs applications, and analyzes support bundles to verify successful deployments, significantly reducing manual intervention. Bitbucket Pipelines follows a similar process, automatically triggering test clusters upon pull requests and storing support bundles in S3 for issue diagnosis. The support bundle plays a critical role in verifying installation success, ensuring all deployments are correctly rendered, and identifying missing or misconfigured components. This automation has not only improved testing efficiency but also enhanced debugging capabilities by maintaining test clusters temporarily for further investigation when failures occur.
Porter highlights how CMX was rapidly adopted at Knime, driven by internal evangelization, documentation, and targeted engagement with power users across teams. The tool has proven cost-effective, typically costing only a few dollars per test cluster while eliminating the need for teams to manually set up and manage testing infrastructure. Future improvements include tagging CMX clusters for better cost tracking, capturing installation success as a metric for stability analysis, and expanding compatibility testing across all supported environments. Porter also emphasized the importance of user feedback in shaping CMX’s ongoing development and encouraged teams to contribute feature requests to enhance its scalability and efficiency as a testing solution.
For a more in-depth understanding, you can watch the full video below:
ChartSmith.ai – A Helm Chart Expert
Marc Campbell, the CTO of Replicated, introduces and demonstrates ChartSmith.ai, an AI-driven tool designed to streamline the process of creating and maintaining Helm charts. During his presentation, Marc explains that the tool is built to assist developers in packaging applications with Helm and ensuring that these charts are compatible with various environments, thus ensuring high installation success. ChartSmith's primary function is to automate and guide the creation and management of Helm charts, making it easier for developers to follow industry best practices and customize configurations as needed. Through a live demo, Marc shows how the tool supports two main use cases: importing and improving existing Helm charts, and creating new charts with customized features, such as dependencies and environment compatibility.
The tool's AI-based engine allows users to ask for specific changes, such as adding support for certain environments or components, and it provides a detailed plan for implementing these changes. Importantly, ChartSmith ensures that these changes are compatible with various systems, helping developers maintain best practices. In addition, it integrates with repositories like Artifact Hub to fetch the best dependencies and automatically adjust for security updates or environment-specific configurations.
For a more in-depth understanding, you can watch the full video below:
Introducing: The Replicated Enterprise Portal
Grant Miller, CEO of Replicated, discusses the upcoming launch of the Enterprise Portal, a major evolution of the previous download portal. Currently in its alpha phase, the Enterprise Portal is designed to improve the installation process for end-customers. The portal will provide advanced reporting features, including detailed installation and update attempt reporting, making it easier for customers to track their progress. In addition, it will offer more extensive customization options, allowing users to control branding, including logos, colors, and email templates, to ensure the portal aligns with their company's identity. The portal will also support various installation methods, such as online and airgap installations, all while guiding users through each step of the process.
Grant emphasized that the ultimate goal of the Enterprise Portal is to create a world-class customer experience by providing clear guidance, improving communication, and addressing critical security concerns. The portal will include features like support bundle management and email notifications, enhancing the customer experience and making it easier for users to access necessary resources. Security features, such as the ability to manage license IDs and implement a security center for supply chain security reports, will further bolster the portal’s capabilities. The Enterprise Portal will significantly improve both the installation process and the overall end-customer experience, setting Replicated apart in the industry.
For a more in-depth understanding, you can watch the full video below:
Interested in learning more about how to streamline your self-hosted deployments? Reach out to our team and book a demo.