In the world of software development, containerization and orchestration have become crucial elements in the deployment and management of applications. Keptn, an open-source project, has emerged as a key player in this field, providing a cloud-native control plane for continuous delivery and automated operations. This glossary entry will delve into the intricacies of Keptn, its role in containerization and orchestration, and how it is shaping the future of software development.
As we navigate through the complexities of Keptn, we will explore its definition, history, use cases, and specific examples. This comprehensive guide will serve as a valuable resource for software engineers looking to understand and leverage the power of Keptn in their own projects.
Definition of Keptn
Keptn, pronounced 'captain', is an open-source project that provides a control plane for the automation of cloud-native delivery and operations. It is designed to help developers and operators manage the complexity of microservices applications by automating their deployment, scaling, and monitoring.
Keptn is built on the principles of containerization and orchestration. Containerization is the process of packaging an application along with its required environment, libraries, and dependencies into a single, self-contained unit called a container. Orchestration, on the other hand, is the automated configuration, coordination, and management of these containers.
Components of Keptn
Keptn consists of several components that work together to provide a seamless experience for developers and operators. These components include the Keptn's Bridge, which provides a web-based user interface for managing and monitoring applications; the Keptn's Shipyard Controller, which manages the lifecycle of a project; and the Keptn's Secret Service, which manages secrets for the Keptn control plane.
Other components include the Keptn's Configuration Service, which manages the configuration of a project; the Keptn's Event Broker, which handles events within the Keptn control plane; and the Keptn's Datastore, which stores event data and project configurations.
History of Keptn
Keptn was born out of a need to simplify the complexities associated with managing microservices applications. It was developed by Dynatrace, a software intelligence company, and was first announced at the Perform 2019 conference. Since then, it has grown and evolved, with contributions from a vibrant community of developers and operators.
The project is governed by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which ensures its adherence to the principles of cloud-native computing. The CNCF also provides resources and support to the Keptn community, fostering its growth and development.
Keptn's Evolution
Since its inception, Keptn has undergone several iterations, each introducing new features and improvements. The project has evolved from a simple control plane for continuous delivery to a comprehensive platform for automating cloud-native operations.
Keptn's evolution has been driven by the needs of its users and the broader software development community. The project's roadmap is guided by feedback from users, and its development is driven by a community of contributors who are passionate about improving the way we build and manage software.
Use Cases of Keptn
Keptn's capabilities make it suitable for a wide range of use cases. Its primary use case is automating the continuous delivery of microservices applications. By automating the deployment process, Keptn helps developers deliver software more quickly and reliably.
Keptn is also used for automating operations. It can automatically scale applications based on demand, monitor their performance, and even remediate issues when they arise. This allows operators to focus on more strategic tasks, rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day management of applications.
Examples of Keptn Usage
Keptn has been adopted by a number of organizations to automate their software delivery and operations. For example, Dynatrace uses Keptn to manage the delivery of its own software. By automating the deployment process, Dynatrace has been able to reduce the time it takes to deliver new features and improvements to its customers.
Another example is the use of Keptn by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The ÖBB uses Keptn to automate the operations of its ticketing system. This has allowed the ÖBB to ensure the high availability of its system, even during peak times when demand is high.
Conclusion
Keptn represents a significant advancement in the field of containerization and orchestration. By automating the delivery and operations of microservices applications, it is helping developers and operators manage the complexities of modern software development.
As we continue to move towards a future where software is increasingly complex and distributed, tools like Keptn will become even more important. By understanding and leveraging the power of Keptn, software engineers can build and manage applications that are more reliable, scalable, and efficient.