Azure Red Hat OpenShift

  • Author: Ronald Fung

  • Creation Date: 30 May 2023

  • Next Modified Date: 30 May 2024

A. Introduction

The Microsoft Azure Red Hat OpenShift service enables you to deploy fully managed OpenShift clusters.

Azure Red Hat OpenShift extends Kubernetes. Running containers in production with Kubernetes requires additional tools and resources. This often includes needing to juggle image registries, storage management, networking solutions, and logging and monitoring tools - all of which must be versioned and tested together. Building container-based applications requires even more integration work with middleware, frameworks, databases, and CI/CD tools. Azure Red Hat OpenShift combines all this into a single platform, bringing ease of operations to IT teams while giving application teams what they need to execute.

Azure Red Hat OpenShift is jointly engineered, operated, and supported by Red Hat and Microsoft to provide an integrated support experience. There are no virtual machines to operate, and no patching is required. Master, infrastructure, and application nodes are patched, updated, and monitored on your behalf by Red Hat and Microsoft. Your Azure Red Hat OpenShift clusters are deployed into your Azure subscription and are included on your Azure bill.

You can choose your own registry, networking, storage, and CI/CD solutions, or use the built-in solutions for automated source code management, container and application builds, deployments, scaling, health management, and more. Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides an integrated sign-on experience through Azure Active Directory.

To get started, complete the Create an Azure Red Hat OpenShift cluster tutorial.

B. How is it used at Seagen

As a biopharma research company using Microsoft Azure, Seagen could use Azure Red Hat OpenShift to deploy and manage containerized applications in the cloud. Azure Red Hat OpenShift is a fully managed service that provides a container platform based on Red Hat OpenShift and allows users to deploy and manage containerized applications at scale. Here are some ways Seagen could use Azure Red Hat OpenShift:

  1. Application deployment: Azure Red Hat OpenShift allows Seagen to deploy containerized applications in the cloud, making it easier to manage and scale applications. This can help Seagen reduce the time and resources required to deploy and manage applications.

  2. Application scaling: Azure Red Hat OpenShift allows Seagen to scale applications up or down based on demand. This can help Seagen ensure that applications are always available to users, even during peak usage periods.

  3. Application management: Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides a unified dashboard for managing containerized applications, making it easier for Seagen to monitor and troubleshoot applications.

  4. DevOps integration: Azure Red Hat OpenShift integrates with popular DevOps tools, such as Jenkins and Git, allowing Seagen to streamline the development and deployment of containerized applications.

  5. Hybrid cloud deployment: Azure Red Hat OpenShift allows Seagen to deploy containerized applications across hybrid cloud environments, including on-premises and multi-cloud environments. This can help Seagen leverage existing infrastructure investments and avoid vendor lock-in.

Overall, Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides a comprehensive solution for deploying and managing containerized applications in the cloud. Its ability to deploy, scale, and manage applications, as well as integrate with popular DevOps tools and support hybrid cloud deployment, makes it a valuable tool for organizations that require a scalable and flexible platform for their containerized applications.

C. Features

Azure Red Hat OpenShift is a fully managed service that provides a container platform based on Red Hat OpenShift. It offers a range of features to help organizations deploy and manage containerized applications in the cloud. Some of the key features of Azure Red Hat OpenShift include:

  1. Container orchestration: Azure Red Hat OpenShift uses Kubernetes to provide container orchestration, allowing users to easily manage and scale containerized applications.

  2. Application deployment: Azure Red Hat OpenShift allows users to deploy containerized applications in the cloud, making it easier to manage and scale applications. It supports a wide range of container images and templates to help users quickly deploy applications.

  3. Application scaling: Azure Red Hat OpenShift allows users to scale applications up or down based on demand, ensuring that applications are always available to users.

  4. Application management: Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides a unified dashboard for managing containerized applications, making it easier for users to monitor and troubleshoot applications.

  5. DevOps integration: Azure Red Hat OpenShift integrates with popular DevOps tools, such as Jenkins and Git, allowing users to streamline the development and deployment of containerized applications.

  6. Hybrid cloud deployment: Azure Red Hat OpenShift allows users to deploy containerized applications across hybrid cloud environments, including on-premises and multi-cloud environments. This helps users leverage existing infrastructure investments and avoid vendor lock-in.

  7. Security and compliance: Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides built-in security features, such as network isolation and role-based access control (RBAC), to help users secure their containerized applications. It also supports compliance with industry standards, such as HIPAA and PCI.

  8. High availability: Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides high availability for containerized applications, ensuring that applications remain available even in the event of hardware or software failures.

Overall, Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides a comprehensive solution for deploying and managing containerized applications in the cloud. Its ability to orchestrate, deploy, scale, and manage applications, as well as integrate with popular DevOps tools and support hybrid cloud deployment, makes it a valuable tool for organizations that require a scalable and flexible platform for their containerized applications.

D. Where Implemented

LeanIX

E. How it is tested

Testing Azure Red Hat OpenShift involves several steps that include:

  1. Creating a test environment: The first step is to create a test environment that is separate from the production environment. This ensures that any issues or bugs discovered during testing do not affect the live system.

  2. Configuring Azure Red Hat OpenShift: The next step is to configure Azure Red Hat OpenShift for the containerized applications that need to be deployed. This involves setting up images, templates, and configuration files, and defining deployment and scaling policies.

  3. Testing container orchestration: Once Azure Red Hat OpenShift is configured, the next step is to test container orchestration. This involves verifying that Azure Red Hat OpenShift can manage and scale containerized applications effectively.

  4. Testing application deployment: After testing container orchestration, the next step is to test application deployment. This involves verifying that Azure Red Hat OpenShift can deploy containerized applications in the cloud, and that applications are available to users.

  5. Testing application scaling: Once application deployment is tested, the next step is to test application scaling. This involves verifying that Azure Red Hat OpenShift can scale applications up or down based on demand, ensuring that applications are always available to users.

  6. Testing application management: After application scaling is tested, the next step is to test application management. This involves verifying that Azure Red Hat OpenShift provides a unified dashboard for managing containerized applications, and that users can monitor and troubleshoot applications effectively.

  7. Integration testing: After Azure Red Hat OpenShift has been tested, it must be integrated with other systems and applications to ensure that it works seamlessly with other components.

  8. User acceptance testing: Finally, Azure Red Hat OpenShift must undergo user acceptance testing to ensure that it meets the requirements of the end-users.

Overall, testing Azure Red Hat OpenShift involves a comprehensive testing approach that covers all the functionalities of the solution and ensures that it meets the requirements of the end-users. Testing should include both functional and non-functional testing, such as performance testing, security testing, and scalability testing. It is also important to test the integration of Azure Red Hat OpenShift with other systems and applications to ensure that it works seamlessly with other components. It is recommended to test Azure Red Hat OpenShift in a test environment before deploying it in a production environment to minimize the risk of issues during production use.

F. 2023 Roadmap

????

G. 2024 Roadmap

????

H. Known Issues

Like all software products, Azure Red Hat OpenShift may have some known issues. Here are some of the known issues of Azure Red Hat OpenShift:

  1. Limited support for certain container images: Azure Red Hat OpenShift may have limited support for certain container images, which can limit the ability of users to deploy certain applications in the cloud.

  2. Performance issues: Azure Red Hat OpenShift may have performance issues when scaling large containerized applications or when processing large volumes of data. This can impact the ability of users to scale applications and ensure their availability.

  3. Integration issues: Azure Red Hat OpenShift may have integration issues when integrating with other systems and applications. This can impact the ability of users to use Azure Red Hat OpenShift in their existing DevOps workflows.

  4. Security issues: Azure Red Hat OpenShift may have security issues, such as vulnerabilities in the container scanning or container orchestration features. This can expose organizations to security risks and data breaches.

  5. Complexity: Azure Red Hat OpenShift can be complex to configure and manage, especially for organizations with large and complex containerized application environments. This can require significant technical expertise and resources.

Overall, while Azure Red Hat OpenShift is a powerful solution for deploying and managing containerized applications in the cloud, users must be aware of these known issues and take steps to mitigate their impact. This may include addressing performance issues, ensuring compatibility and integration with other systems and applications, monitoring security vulnerabilities, and providing training and support to users to effectively use and manage Azure Red Hat OpenShift. It is recommended to carefully plan and test the use of Azure Red Hat OpenShift in a test environment before deploying it in a production environment to minimize the risk of issues during production use.

[x] Reviewed by Enterprise Architecture

[x] Reviewed by Application Development

[x] Reviewed by Data Architecture