Cloud migration: Dipping in a toe before diving all in Watch Now

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) public clouds are commonplace. We all know Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute Engine. Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS) that enable you to build cloud-native applications are rarer. Red Hat is changing this with its new release of Red Hat OpenShift Online (RHOO).

RHOO is based on OpenShift, which is Red Hat's private PaaS cloud, but this is more than just a PaaS. Red Hat is providing an enterprise-ready container platform based on integrated Docker containers, which run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and are managed by Kubernetes.

RHOO runs on AWS. While AWS runs globally, RHOO's Stater plan is available on AWS US East and West. The Pro plan is only available on US East for now. It will soon be available in EMEA and APAC.

The point of OpenShift Online is to enable developers to build cloud-native apps on a cloud-based container platform without having to worry about the complexity of provisioning, managing, and scaling applications as demands change. Thus, developers can focus on writing the code for their business, prototyping new features, or working on their next big idea without the busy work of managing infrastructure.

OpenShift is a polyglot platform that supports multiple languages. These include Java (8), .NET Core (1.0, 1.1), Node.js (0.10, 4, 6), PHP (5.5, 5.6, 7), Python (2.7, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5), Ruby (2.0, 2.2, 2.3), and Perl (5.16, 5.20, 5.24). Jenkins (1.x, 2.x) is also available for continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). In addition, Tomcat (7, 8), with support for with Java (7, 8, EE), is available via Red Hat JBoss Web Server.

RHOO also comes with OpenShift Quickstart application templates for CakePHP, Dancer, Django, Node.js, and Ruby on Rails. It also offers optimized workflows to help configure and deploy applications on any given framework, such as Spring Boot, Eclipse Vert.x, Node.js, and Red Hat JBoss Middleware, helping developers start their project easier and code faster.

For database services, RHOO supports MariaDB (10.1), MongoDB (2.4, 2.6, 3.2), MySQL (5.5, 5.6, 5.7), PostgreSQL (9.2, 9.4, 9.5), and Redis (3.2).

In short, RHOO gives programmers pretty everything they need to develop applications with popular languages and platforms.

In this latest version, RHOO comes with these new features:

Simplified deployment - New one-click and "Git push" command deployment capabilities have been added to help streamline application provisioning and deployment for developers and sysadmins that do not need full control over the deployment life-cycle.

- New one-click and "Git push" command deployment capabilities have been added to help streamline application provisioning and deployment for developers and sysadmins that do not need full control over the deployment life-cycle. Automatic scaling - Cloud elasticity is enabled through automatic application scaling, which helps eliminate the need for manual intervention when an increase in application load requires more application instances.

- Cloud elasticity is enabled through automatic application scaling, which helps eliminate the need for manual intervention when an increase in application load requires more application instances. S2I builds - Using the source-to-image (S2I) framework to build reproducible container images. This helps eliminate the need for developers to understand Docker, or create and manage Docker images. This reduces errors and enabling programmers to focus on writing their applications in their languages of choice.

- Using the source-to-image (S2I) framework to build reproducible container images. This helps eliminate the need for developers to understand Docker, or create and manage Docker images. This reduces errors and enabling programmers to focus on writing their applications in their languages of choice. IDE integration - The platform features built-in integration with popular integrated development environments (IDEs), including Eclipse, Red Hat JBoss Developer Studio, and Titanium Studio. This lets developers keep using their favorite IDE.

- The platform features built-in integration with popular integrated development environments (IDEs), including Eclipse, Red Hat JBoss Developer Studio, and Titanium Studio. This lets developers keep using their favorite IDE. Middleware services - OpenShift provide access to the Red Hat JBoss Middleware portfolio as cloud-based services on OpenShift. These services can be used to build applications, integrate with other systems, orchestrate using rules and processes, and then be deployed across hybrid environments.

RHOOsis available in two versions.:

Starter: A free service that includes 1GB of memory and 1GB storage for unrestricted use. With it, you can create a single one project with up to four services using two CPU cores.

A free service that includes 1GB of memory and 1GB storage for unrestricted use. With it, you can create a single one project with up to four services using two CPU cores. Pro: This is a paid service that adds additional resources, which starts at $50 per month per gigabyte of memory or storage. The Pro tier is available for purchase in nearly 200 countries. OpenShift Pro also includes free Basic Support for a limited period of time. You can run production services with the Pro plan.

Put it all together, and Al Gillen, IDC's group VP of Software Development and Open Source, thinks: "Cloud-native application development is the key to unlocking digital transformation. Red Hat OpenShift's support for Docker and Kubernetes, in conjunction with its ability to support polyglot languages, databases and application development frameworks, promises to empower organizations to develop applications marked by the relative absence of vendor lock-in and indigenous portability across infrastructures."

So, if you're interested in cloud-native programs, RHOO demands a look.

Related stories: