Kubernetes, the open-source system for managing Docker and Rkt containers across private, public, and hybrid cloud environments, grows every more popular. So, it's no surprise that Red Hat, with its intention to become a cloud power, is embracing OpenShift Container Platform 3.5.

In this update, Red Hat provides an enterprise-ready container platform based on Kubernetes 1.5, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and the integrated Docker container runtime through the latest version of Red Hat's container application platform. This isn't the newest version of Kubernetes; that's the piping hot Kubernetes 1.6, which was released in late March.

OpenShift Container isn't just about Kubernetes and containers. OpenShift, which is Red Hat's Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) cloud, together with OpenShift Container, is designed to provide companies with a single, streamlined way to manage both "legacy" and containerized applications.

OpenShift Container Platform 3.5 expands on this with new capabilities. These include:

StatefulSets - While Kubernetes already supports stateful services with features like integrated storage orchestration, many traditional stateful services like SQL databases, messaging queues, and other "pet" services require more capabilities to manage the configuration of each service instance in a cluster. Kubernetes StatefulSets, now available in Tech Preview, bring the same powerful Kubernetes automation features for scaling and declarative health management to traditional stateful services so they can run in containers, instead of directly on virtual machines or physical servers.

While Kubernetes already supports stateful services with features like integrated storage orchestration, many traditional stateful services like SQL databases, messaging queues, and other "pet" services require more capabilities to manage the configuration of each service instance in a cluster. Kubernetes StatefulSets, now available in Tech Preview, bring the same powerful Kubernetes automation features for scaling and declarative health management to traditional stateful services so they can run in containers, instead of directly on virtual machines or physical servers. Cloud-native Java - OpenShift Container already provides a platform for running traditional Java EE applications. This includes fully integrated enterprise middleware services from the Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Middleware portfolio. It now also provides a new Java container image for cloud native workloads. This enables developers to focus purely on coding their new cloud-native Java applications, while the platform -- through OpenShift source-to-image (S2I) -- handles the compiling, building, and assembling of the final, runnable artifact.

OpenShift Container already provides a platform for running traditional Java EE applications. This includes fully integrated enterprise middleware services from the Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Middleware portfolio. It now also provides a new Java container image for cloud native workloads. This enables developers to focus purely on coding their new cloud-native Java applications, while the platform -- through OpenShift source-to-image (S2I) -- handles the compiling, building, and assembling of the final, runnable artifact. Expanded developer toolbox - It also supports Red Hat Software Collections, curated versions of the latest, stable developer tools and languages, including updates for Redis, MySQL, PHP and more.

Taken all-together, this update is meant for developers porting old software to the cloud and creating new cloud-based programs.

This new version of OpenShift Container also boasts better container security. It does this with:

Enhanced certificate management - OpenShift Container 3.5 includes enhancements for managing certificates, such as the ability to provide warnings based on certificates expiring and for a rolling refresh of security certificates.

OpenShift Container 3.5 includes enhancements for managing certificates, such as the ability to provide warnings based on certificates expiring and for a rolling refresh of security certificates. Improved Secrets management - Secrets are used to manage sensitive information like passwords when deploying OpenShift Container applications This update comes with with new support added for more granularity in determining who owns a given Secret.

All-in-all, this release strikes me as perfect for anyone deploying applications to a RHEL-based cloud. You can see it for yourself. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 3.5 is available now via the Red Hat Customer Portal.

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