Netsons builds a Managed Kubernetes Service with Kamaji and OpenStack

About Netsons

Born as a community project in early 2000s offering free hosting services and switching into a web hosting company in 2007, Netsons has grown to serve over 200,000 business customers, primarily in Italy. Known for their forward-thinking approach, commitment to technological innovation with a focus on open source solutions, they have been a forerunner in adopting advanced cloud solutions to meet and exceed customer expectations.

The Challenge

With a strong foundation in cloud computing backed by OpenStack, Netsons aimed to build its Managed Kubernetes offerings. Their vision was to provide scalable, efficient, and flexible Kubernetes solutions, meeting their customers' dynamic requirements. How do you build a Managed Kubernetes Service with self-service capabilities like hyperscalers do? To do so, it needed to adopt a modern approach based on high automation and security, all while saving resources and operational effort. However, Netsons encountered a common Kubernetes industry hurdle: most available Kubernetes solutions were predominantly designed for enterprises and needed more scalability, which is essential for a Managed Service Provider. Large public hyperscalers have their implementations, but, unfortunately, they are not shared publicly. This gap in the market presented two main issues: standard vendor solutions were often too costly and complex to manage for Netsons’ requirements. Dealing with these challenges, Netsons recognized the need for a strategic partner who could assist in delivering a scalable, cost-effective and easy to operate Kubernetes solution: Kamaji by Clastix.

The Solution with Clastix

Netsons chose Clastix's Kamaji for its Kubernetes-as-a-Service (KaaS) offering:

• Kamaji Implementation: Kamaji is based on the Hosted Control Plane concept, a new paradigm shift in Kubernetes architectures. It enables Netsons to provide dedicated Kubernetes clusters for each client, optimizing hardware resource utilization and operational management.

Integration with OpenStack: Integrating Kamaji with their OpenStack environment via Cluster API allowed Netsons to create a fast-delivery, robust and efficient platform with autopilot for Managed Kubernetes Services, covering all the stack, from the infrastructure to the orchestration layer.

Design and Deployment

Netsons' deployment of a Managed Kubernetes Service showcased their technical proficiency, particularly in Kubernetes and OpenStack. Their skilled technical team spearheaded the integration of Clastix's Kamaji into their architecture, largely independently but with valuable assistance from Kamaji's core maintainers. Key aspects of their implementation include:

• Integration: Netsons’ team skillfully integrated Kamaji into their existing OpenStack infrastructure, enhancing the scalability and efficiency of their Managed Kubernetes Service.

• Collaboration: Working closely with Kamaji's core maintainers, Netsons successfully deployed Kamaji and contributed to testing and validating its integration with OpenStack, showcasing their deep understanding and capability in these technologies.

• Self-Reliant Implementation: Leveraging their in-house expertise, Netsons autonomously implemented a robust Managed Kubernetes Service, including a user-friendly management interface.

The implementation of a new Managed Kubernetes Service reflects Netsons’ position as a leader in cloud computing technologies.

Results

The creation of Netsons' Managed Kubernetes Service using Kamaji led to several achievements:

• Pioneering Scalability and Efficiency: Netsons reached new heights in scalability and efficiency in their Kubernetes service offerings. A brand new cluster is just created in 5 minutes.

• Simplified Kubernetes Management: The Kubernetes service framework leverages Kamaji's streamlined operations, reducing the intricacies inherent in large-scale Kubernetes deployment. Native Kamaji integration with OpenStack Cluster API creates an entire stack with just a few clicks or API calls. 

• Superior Service Delivery: Clients benefited from robust, customizable, easy-to-use Kubernetes services, with a real self-service approach covering the entire infrastructure stack. Moreover, the Kamaji integration with the underlying infrastructure simplifies complex Day-2 operations and provides a unique user experience.

Testimonial

"Clastix's Kamaji, integrated with our OpenStack infrastructure, has been pivotal in building our Managed Kubernetes Services. This strategic enhancement has allowed us to offer scalable, efficient, and highly customizable Kubernetes solutions, significantly elevating our service delivery across Italy and Europe."

Aurelio Forese, Head of Cloud, Netsons

Wrap Up

The integration of Clastix's Kamaji with Netsons' OpenStack infrastructure marks a key milestone in their cloud service evolution. Netsons has achieved unprecedented operational agility, automation, and scalability. The collaboration has demonstrated how local and regional cloud providers can utilize Kubernetes to adopt a hyper-scale approach and offer cloud-native services. This development not only powered Netsons’ cloud services capabilities but also strengthened Netsons' position as a leader in the Italian and European cloud services market, setting a new benchmark for innovation and growth.