Want to solve the Kubernetes problem with an IDP like Backstage? Read this first!
Port’s 2024 State of Internal Developer Platform reports 85% adoption of Internal Developer Portals and 99% adoption of platform engineering, with 83% incorporating GitOps into their approach. This report also affirms:
The market is still unclear about what constitutes an Internal Developer Platform.?
Below, I'll attempt to clarify the difference between an Internal Developer Portal (IDP) and an Internal Developer Platform (IDP). Unfortunately, they both have the same acronym, adding to the confusion. I'll focus on Kubernetes app operations and refer to these IDPs as either IDPortal or IDPlatform.
The Cognitive (Over)Load of Kubernetes
Enterprise platform engineering and DevOps teams have to traverse multiple application development environments – virtualization, legacy, and modern applications (i.e., Kubernetes).
Kubernetes is the de facto technology stack for containerized applications worldwide. However, Kubernetes is a complex system, particularly for multi-cloud, multi-cluster environments, requiring integration with multiple tools for observability, continuous delivery, security, etc., driving cognitive overload. (See graphic below)
Managing and operating containerized Kubernetes applications at scale, across various and diverse clusters, remains burdensome and requires significant cognitive load.
By definition, cognitive overload is a situation where one is given too much information at once, or too many simultaneous tasks, resulting in not being able to perform or process the information as it would otherwise happen if the amount was instead sustainable.
Today's platform engineering teams have been tasked with reducing the cognitive load and friction within development and operations, as well as, lack of standardized tools and documented best-practices.?
Backstage (IDPortal)
To help increase developer productivity, platform engineers are adopting CNCF’s Backstage, an open-source project created as a services catalog for developers. Backstage's mission is to build an UI that presents a consolidated view of catalog of software services, software templates, search, Kubernetes distribution, documentation, etc. to facilitate the life of developers.?
Backstage is simple to use.
The software developer logs into the Backstage portal and chooses available services, like “deploy an application” or “set up a Kubernetes cluster.”?On account of Kubernetes, Backstage has several plugins to cloud native and proprietary tools. But Backstage will do nothing without an IDPlatform.??
The developer may be told to work on an AI application. But what is not mentioned is that the AI application still needs to be deployed in Kubernetes.?
This is an important point to make, because there are many people, including members of the C-suite, thinking that building or using an IDPortal like Backstage is all that matters, because "that’s what the app developer interfaces to." And that’s correct.?However, an IDPortal, even Backstage, will do nothing without an IDPlatform.?
So, What's an IDPlatform?
For modern applications:
An IDPlatform comprises a stack of cloud native, GitOps-based open-source software tools that are needed to deploy, manage, and observe all Kubernetes clusters, in any cloud environment.
Developers and operations teams need an IDPlatform to solve Kubernetes problems i.e., complexity of set up, management, and continuous upgrades. They also need to reduce the steep learning curve and the need for multi-disciplinary technical expertise in-house i.e., Kubernetes, GitOps, multi-cloud, etc. Below is an example of what a cloud native IDPlatform looks like for Kubernetes operations:
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IDPortal (Backstage) + Cloud Native IDPlatform (KAOPS)
Backstage delivers a nice UI (IDPortal) for developers, but it still needs an IDPlatform for an application environment.?
KAOPS is a purpose-built IDPlatform with a centralized and simplified UI that does not require an IDPortal to work. Nonetheless, it can become a plug-in to any Backstage or IDPortal.
If you don’t have an IDPlatform like KAOPS that knows how to deploy things to Kubernetes, the IDPortal i.e., Backstage won’t do anything. All it will be is a nice UI that has no effective backend to it - and your developer can’t deploy anything.?
KAOPS hides the complexity of Kubernetes application operations to accelerate time-to-success, with enhanced observability and management tools. It also provides ease of extensibility, ease of use, and fast onboarding.
It's up to platform engineers to choose their battles to either save their resources to build and extend things that matter, or waste time trying to do something that has already been done successfully by someone else.
In Summary
When you hear the acronym IDP being mentioned, don't be shy. Ask for clarification: "Do you mean an IDPortal like Backstage or an IDPlatform like KAOPS?" Not all all "IDPs" serve the same purpose.
Also, when addressing Kubernetes problems, avoid reinventing the wheel. Consider using an IDPlatform SaaS like KAOPS as your "easy button" for Kubernetes application operations, accessible via a plug-in to Backstage, or as a standalone solution.
Last, consider the business impact of freeing up senior technical experts to work on newer projects.
Interested in learning more about KAOPS?
QUICK POLL
Please answer in the comments area.
What percentage of your Kubernetes operations are currently automated?
a) Less than 25%
b) 25-50%
c) 50-75%
d) More than 75%
e) Not sure