A leading technology company sought to future-proof and streamline its development processes, aiming to attract and retain young talent for the long term. With their existing infrastructure reaching its limits, modernization became essential. comdivision was selected as a partner to develop a VMware Tanzu-based solution that was tailored to meet the needs of both the IT and developer teams.
The company faced the task of ensuring that its in-house developments were resilient to future changes, which prompted questions around selecting suitable platforms and optimizing interface configurations. Their existing systems lacked the flexibility needed to support modern software components and developers. Additionally, attracting and retaining young, dynamic developers posed a challenge. A development platform was needed that would meet modern demands, while enabling efficient management. These challenges were closely examined through a Proof of Concept (PoC) using VMware Tanzu.
It quickly became evident that a Kubernetes environment was necessary. The developers had already explored various alternatives and understood the complexity involved in deployment and day-two management. Sascha Schwunk, comdivision’s Lead Architect for this client, conducted an initial workshop to bring the IT-Ops and Dev-Ops teams to a common understanding. The focus areas included cloud-native applications, Kubernetes, and extensions. Mr. Schwunk also outlined different deployment options and stable operation strategies for a Kubernetes cluster.
Following the workshop, it became clear that a solution was needed that allowed the IT-Ops team to manage permissions, security, network, and resources without requiring a complete realignment. The goal was to reduce administrative overhead. Simultaneously, the Dev-Ops team needed the flexibility to independently create, scale, and back up Kubernetes clusters within their resources.
The client opted for a PoC with VMware Tanzu Standard, which was implemented in partnership with VMware and comdivision. Combining vSphere with Tanzu allows for a fast, easy, and controlled deployment of Tanzu Kubernetes clusters. Tanzu Mission Control provides a centralized, cloud-based control plane for managing all Kubernetes clusters.
The PoC included an extended design workshop where the network design was coordinated with the IT-Ops and Dev-Ops teams. During this workshop, the integration of NSX Advanced Load Balancer to both the Supervisor Cluster and Kubernetes clusters and services was discussed in detail.
After addressing outstanding questions with the IT-Ops, network and security teams, and developers, the environment setup commenced. A namespace in vSphere was configured, options were discussed, a Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) cluster was deployed, and the requested extensions from the Dev-Ops team were implemented. For instance, the Harbor Image Repository, with all required dependencies, was made available through Tanzu Packages in record time. An existing container application was successfully converted into a Kubernetes application and tested on a TKG cluster.
Each developer gained the ability to use an individual namespace in vSphere, create their own Tanzu Kubernetes clusters, and independently manage applications and clusters via Tanzu Mission Control. The teams were given ample time for testing and received continuous support and guidance from comdivision’s cloud-native experts.
Following the PoC phase, the client is now planning to implement Kubernetes with Tanzu for their long term future Following the PoC phase, the client is now planning to build their future in Kubernetes with Tanzu.. The successful implementation of this modern development platform not only meets technical requirements, but also establishes a future-proof foundation for the company’s continued growth.
