Over the last few years, containerisation has become a huge trend in software development. Put simply, it involves packaging up software code and its dependencies so it can run together – and run efficiently – on any infrastructure.
Not only does it speed up business growth and application development, but it helps to boost operational efficiency, simplifies business management, and enhances overall performance. Ready to embrace the benefits yourself? Read on for ways you can do just that…
Understand the why
As well as being aware of the benefits, you should know why your business is adopting it. Perhaps it’s for security or agility reasons? Or maybe you want to focus on fault isolation. Either way, there are many reasons why an organisation may choose containerisation.
Once you’ve determined this, communicate it. As with many business decisions, everyone involved needs to be on board for it to truly work, with a solid understanding of why the change is happening. And that leads us onto our next point…
Prepare for change
If you decide to embrace containerisation, it’s important to remember that it’s not merely a shift in technology. Given that containers affect both infrastructure and development, it requires a radical change in the operational environment.
By using containers in virtualised environments, developers are able to improve the maturity of infrastructures while fitting more applications in the cloud. Since this doesn’t demand a substantial operational change, doing this makes putting containers into practice much simpler.
… and some risk
As with any new technology, embracing containerisation doesn’t come without risks. Considering this technology is still relatively new, it’s constantly changing as it evolves and matures, which means it may look very different in the future.
With this in mind, some companies may want to wait a few years until it’s more established, or at least compare the benefits and costs before adopting. Though, it’s worth bearing in mind that the longer you wait, the longer you’ll go without these benefits.
Select the right platform
One of the most important benefits of containerisation is portability, which ultimately means increased speed of development and deployment. But to fully realise this benefit, you need the right tools.
In other words, you’ll require a toolset that provides easy management and is able to support automation and orchestration. It’s also recommended that you opt for tools that work with a public, private or hybrid cloud. And it pays to invest in a platform that allows access to third-party tools and integrates with your existing infrastructure.
Assemble your team
As well as making sure that everyone is on board, you need to ensure that your team has the right level of skills and knowledge. Why? Because containerisation has many dependencies and its effects can be far-reaching.
Ultimately, you need personnel who are equipped to deal with Linux and Docker, across all levels of the development cycle. But don’t worry, as that’s exactly where we come in.
Consult an MSP like ClearCloud
At ClearCloud, we can help you embrace containerisation by first walking you through cloud adoption. We’ll educate your team as we go, instilling them with best practice and expert advice, and we’ll only stop when they’re confident enough to manage the whole thing themselves.
For more information on how we can help you unleash the potential of the cloud, simply call 0161 533 0286 or email info@clearcloud.co.uk today.
