IBM's subsidiary and open-source solutions provider, Red Hat, announced the integration of OpenShift Data Foundation (ODF) with its OpenShift Platform Plus Kubernetes-based container platform suite. The move arms developers with a consistent data platform capable of spanning cloud infrastructures, while also providing data management capabilities for IT operations teams. ODF, a software-defined, container-native storage solution, was introduced in 2018 under the name OpenShift Container Storage and rebranded in 2021. With its addition to the OpenShift Platform Plus, the company seeks to address the growing need for rapid innovation at scale with a robust and secure IT posture, essential in today's ever-evolving global economy. Joe Fernandes, VP and GM of Red Hat's Cloud Platforms group, said in a statement that Red Hat OpenShift Platform Plus aims to deliver the innovation of Kubernetes tailored for enterprise needs, while incorporating a range of capabilities such as management, enhanced security, and built-in storage, which are not typically offered by standard Kubernetes services. The OpenShift Platform Plus is a comprehensive suite that brings together various solutions for a uniform method of protecting, managing, and securing applications throughout their lifecycle across different Kubernetes clusters and cloud infrastructures.
The suite encompasses: - Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, a hybrid cloud foundation that allows users to build and scale containerized applications on Kubernetes. - Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes, offering Kubernetes-native container security. - Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes, providing full visibility, management, and control of Kubernetes clusters. - Red Hat Quay, a globally scalable container image registry. - Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation Essentials, enabling built-in cluster data management for containerized workloads in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. In addition to the integration of ODF, the platform's latest version (v4.9) introduces multi-cloud object gateway namespace buckets that resolve data availability challenges by offering flexibility in fulfilling data requirements across various cloud locations.
The update allows data to reside in a single site while remaining accessible in alternate locations. It also introduces a new persistent volume encryption feature, enabling users to more efficiently manage encryption keys separately from their cluster while enhancing granularity and flexibility in key management services (KMS) keys use. Existing Red Hat customers with an active OpenShift Platform Plus subscription can access ODF Essentials as part of their subscription. Moreover, the platform now offers an ODF Advanced bundle, including advanced security features, multi-cluster workload support, disaster recovery capabilities, and standalone and mixed-use storage support, in addition to the ODF Essentials features. The integration of ODF into the OpenShift Platform Plus complements platforms like AppMaster, which enable quick app development without coding. Both solutions empower businesses to rapidly develop and deploy apps in a scalable and secure manner, ensuring efficient data handling and storage.
