Arena Backstage Pass: Why you should consider building a data platform on Kubernetes

Ben Sharma December 20th, 2021

Why companies and enterprises should consider Kubernetes 

Kubernetes is a popular topic in the application architecture space and is based on containerization and scalability. Though more and more data professionals are gaining expertise in the subject, there is still a bit of a knowledge gap to fill, so it’s essential to set the story straight by clearly defining what it is and why companies and enterprises should consider it when building and developing their data platform. In this blog, we look at this emerging way of application architecture while keeping data platforms in mind.

Defining Kubernetes 

First things first, let us define what Kubernetes is. Kubernetes is an open-source platform, meaning that it is a publically available platform that can be edited or designed to a user’s preference. Its open-source foundation makes Kubernetes a scaleable, portable, and extensible architecture specifically dealing with containerized workloads and services. With Kubernetes as the foundation of a data platform, its architecture allows the scalability necessary to manage numerous data applications and workloads at once to support a growing data ecosystem.

Kubernetes Benefits Explained

When it comes to the benefits of Kubernetes, the list is a long one, but the top two benefits of a data platform built on Kubernetes are its scalability and portability: 

1. Scalability is a big buzzword. It is the fixation that data professionals are seeking to incorporate into their data platform architecture. Having a scalable platform allows a company to reach new heights, scaling up its resource pool and accommodating rapid changes or influx of data. Kubernetes can automatically configure and run containers on clusters within their production environment. This means that users can automate and optimize their operational tasks within their containers in the production phase, which alleviates the pressure on IT and improves data pipeline efficiency.
2. The portability of Kubernetes is another significant advantage. Once a Kubernetes architecture is built, users can utilize the same Kubernetes clusters with other services or in a multi-cloud or multi-platform setting. Having such portability when it comes to data deployment is crucial. As companies build and deploy different applications and services across multi-cloud or hybrid environments or multiple platforms, portability ensures that customers do not have their hands tied with different service providers. The “plug and play” characteristic of Kubernetes is cost-effective and allows users to try different services or workloads that best work for their company use cases.

Considering the Drawbacks

One important thing to consider when building a data platform on Kubernetes is the potential restrictions. Though Kubernetes provides flexibility to its users, companies who have built specific extensions on Kubernetes may face management challenges as requirements are continually changing and increasing as Kubernetes is utilized more and connected to different services, platforms applications, and cloud providers. 

Kubernetes is very customizable, but companies need to decide what service and infrastructure will best manage their Kubernetes clusters because they are not all made equal. As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there is a bit of a knowledge gap regarding Kubernetes. It is an involved architecture, and it requires a specific set of knowledge that people must understand to properly manage workloads and how applications are built and deployed on Kubernetes. 

Concluding Thoughts

There can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to implementing a data platform built on Kubernetes, so having the talent to successfully manage the project should be the number one priority. At Zaloni, this is an area where we have helped our customers with our Data Governance platform, Arena, alongside our data management experts. Arena, too, has that “plug and play” characteristic that makes it compatible with any existing platform, data environment (cloud, hybrid, or on-prem), application, or service. We are here to help by helping educate our customers and figuring out what works best for their current and future use cases and goals. Learn how Arena can help you build your data platform on Kubernetes, and don’t be afraid to reach out to our data experts for a customized demo.

about the author

Ben Sharma

Ben Sharma is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Zaloni, a published author, and holds two patents for his innovative Big Data, Enterprise Infrastructure, and Analytics solutions. His impressive range of knowledge across data and business software disciplines has led him to leadership roles at leading companies like Fujitsu and NetApp before Zaloni.