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In the evolving landscape of enterprise IT, Kubernetes has emerged as the cornerstone of modern application deployment strategies. Red Hat® OpenShift® has quickly become a preferred Kubernetes distribution for enterprises, largely due to its extensive support from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs).

Many organizations choose OpenShift because their critical business applications are certified to run on this platform, ensuring reliability and support. However, as organizations scale, the complexity of managing multiple Kubernetes clusters can become a significant challenge.

This is where Portainer, a powerful multi-cluster management tool, comes into play. By integrating Portainer with OpenShift Kubernetes Engine, enterprises can manage their Kubernetes environments more efficiently and cost-effectively, without the need for the more expensive OpenShift Container Platform or Platform Plus licenses.

The Value of ISV Support with OpenShift

One of the primary reasons organizations adopt OpenShift Kubernetes is the broad ISV support it offers. Many leading software vendors certify their applications to run on OpenShift, making it a trusted choice for enterprises that rely on these critical applications. This certification provides assurance that the applications will perform optimally on OpenShift, with the added benefit of vendor support.

However, while OpenShift offers a solid Kubernetes foundation and ISV-backed reliability, managing multiple clusters still poses challenges. Organizations that run multiple clusters for reasons such as disaster recovery, compliance, or regional availability need robust multi-cluster management capabilities. With OpenShift, the only way to achieve this multi-cluster manager is with the premium license, Platform Plus. This is not only expensive but also relies on a cloud service, which means connecting your critical business systems to the internet for remote management.

This is where Portainer steps in as a valuable alternative.

Portainer: The Ideal Multi-Cluster Manager for OpenShift

Portainer is designed to simplify the management of Kubernetes environments, especially in multi-cluster scenarios. By using Portainer alongside OpenShift, enterprises can achieve a level of centralized control and simplicity that OpenShift’s basic offerings may not provide on their own. Here’s how Portainer enhances the OpenShift experience:

• Unified Multi-Cluster Management: Portainer enables centralized management of multiple Kubernetes clusters from a single interface. This is particularly beneficial for organizations using OpenShift across different environments or geographic locations, providing consistency and simplifying operations.

• Simplified Operations: Portainer’s user-friendly interface abstracts much of the complexity involved in Kubernetes management. This means that DevOps teams can manage OpenShift clusters without needing deep Kubernetes expertise, reducing the learning curve and operational overhead.

• Enhanced Security and Access Control: With built-in Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Portainer ensures that only authorized personnel can access specific clusters or resources. This is crucial for maintaining security and compliance, especially when managing clusters across different teams or departments.

• Scalability Without the Premium Cost: Organizations can scale their Kubernetes infrastructure using Portainer without needing to upgrade to OpenShift Platform Plus. Portainer offers essential multi-cluster management capabilities, making it a cost-effective solution that still leverages the robust OpenShift ecosystem.

Leveraging Portainer with OpenShift: A Strategic Advantage

By integrating Portainer with OpenShift Kubernetes Engine or OpenShift Platform Edition, enterprises can maximize their investment in OpenShift. They can benefit from the wide ISV support that OpenShift offers while also enjoying the streamlined, centralized management that Portainer provides. This combination allows organizations to:

• Optimize Resource Utilization: With Portainer, enterprises can monitor resource usage across multiple clusters, identify inefficiencies, and optimize their Kubernetes deployments.

• Maintain ISV Compliance: Portainer’s multi-cluster management capabilities ensure that organizations can maintain compliance with ISV certifications, as applications can be managed consistently across all clusters.

• Achieve Operational Efficiency: By reducing the complexity of Kubernetes management, Portainer enables DevOps teams to focus on delivering value rather than managing infrastructure.

Achieving More with Portainer and OpenShift

Portainer provides a powerful solution for enterprises looking to enhance their OpenShift deployments. By offering comprehensive multi-cluster management without the need for a premium OpenShift license, Portainer allows organizations to scale effectively, maintain ISV compliance, and streamline operations. For enterprises invested in the OpenShift ecosystem, Portainer is the ideal companion to maximize their Kubernetes capabilities while keeping costs under control.

Below we’ve compared annual pricing* (in USD) for OpenShift Kubernetes Engine with Portainer, OpenShift Container Platform with Portainer, and the premium OpenShift Platform Plus products, for an example 3 cluster deployment where each cluster has 12 nodes, each with 8 vCPUs.

The price difference is immediately obvious. And remember, you only need the base OpenShift Kubernetes Engine license alongside Portainer to achieve full multi-cluster management in your organization, at one eighth the price of OpenShift Platform Plus.

 

Ready to enhance your OpenShift management with Portainer? Try Portainer today and see how easy multi-cluster management can be. Visit our website to learn more or reach out for a demo to experience Portainer’s capabilities firsthand.

* Based on list pricing available from Insight.com, current as of September 2024.

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