1. ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes will be transformational for your business.
Why? Cloud Native patterns such as containerization. According to the Linux Foundation, “managing containerized applications at scale is the order of the day.”
Containerization changes the way DevOps teams work. It simplifies software management because it contains everything you need to run the application. Kubernetes ensures that containerized software is highly available (can operate at a high level, continuously, without intervention, for a given time period) and resilient (able to react to failure and still remain functional). This decreases downtime for your users and makes it easier for your team.
Here’s what using Kubernetes could look like for you, and why it’s a big deal:
Cost savings in the IT department and beyond.
- Infrastructure cost: Kubernetes can handle unpredictable demand without adding more physical machines to your system. This cuts down the cost and size of hardware and facilities and prevents needless spending on physical machines.
- Downtime cost: The costs of downtime are staggering for enterprises (a 1-hour outage cost Amazon an estimated $34 million in sales in 2021), and the effects go far beyond revenue lost – it’s also lost productivity and brand trust.
- Management overhead cost: When fewer physical machines are needed, your staff can focus on more important tasks.
Consistent system performance in the face of unpredictable demand. Kubernetes can load balance and distribute network traffic so that the deployment is stable. Plus, it’s resilient out-of-the-box: Kubernetes is a self-healing system that can keep services running while fixing failures and handling unpredictable demand. Your end users won’t be disrupted, and your administrators don’t need to intervene.
Fast, simple deployment. Wipro, a leading tech services and consulting company, is enthusiastic about containerization, saying that “It is becoming one of the most crucial tools in workflow production and a core element of a multi-cloud strategy. Containerization has helped increase overall deployment agility by over 60%, reducing the time to deploy code to less than 2 seconds.” Because ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes is architected with containers, our customers tell us that they’re amazed how fast ArcGIS Enterprise deploys onto a Kubernetes environment.
Hassle-free upgrades. Upgrading software that is not cloud native (hosted on servers) can be a long and complicated process. With ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes, your upgrades are likely to take less than an hour (we recently had a customer upgrade in just 20 minutes!), making it that much easier to adopt the latest versions. Just imagine always having the latest version of ArcGIS Enterprise and all the updated apps and capabilities that come with it!
2. It’s now available to everyone.
ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes is now available to everyone. Our new subscription pricing model is easy to manage as demand grows for your GIS services and can make your ArcGIS Enterprise deployment more cost-effective.
We recommend that if you’re new to enterprise GIS and being cloud native is a part of your strategy then you should start with ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes. It’s easier to start with Kubernetes from the very beginning and prevents you from having to migrate your data and systems later.
If you already use ArcGIS Enterprise on Windows and Linux and are considering cloud native software, a hybrid approach incorporating ArcGIS Enterprise running hosted on servers and on Kubernetes could be a good way to start. You can keep your existing system and then add an ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes subscription and start deploying parts of your system onto a managed Kubernetes service on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or Red Hat OpenShift. Over time, as more of your data and system has become cloud native, you can reduce your usage of Windows and Linux.
3. We are here to help you.
Are you an existing customer ready to get started with ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes? Your account manager can help you evaluate ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes in your environment and how it supports your IT modernization strategy.
If you are new to Esri, please contact our sales team at the bottom of the ArcGIS Enterprise webpage to connect with someone who can help you evaluate if ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes is right for your organization.
We also have many resources available for you. Please explore these articles for technical information such as architecture profiles, supported cloud environments, new features, and more:
- What is ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes
- Frequently asked questions about Kubernetes
- Determine whether Kubernetes is right for you
- What’s new in ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 on Kubernetes
- ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes: Q&A from Esri User Conference 2022
Or, check out the Product Documentation and a handy list of technical definitions and Kubernetes concepts.
The Bottom Line
Working with Kubernetes will impact many areas of your business – not just the IT department – and our early adopters are seeing a significant improvement of performance, delivering faster real-time insights, better customer experiences, and more.
For example, Esri’s first ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes certified specialty partner, Rok Technologies, recently wrote an article about how to determine if Kubernetes is right for you. “ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes is a game changer – it can significantly enhance your ability to scale, deploy, and manage your software,” they said. The new partner specialty for ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes was established in 2021 to ease the transition to cloud-native for customers by working with a trusted Esri partner to get started.
Another Esri partner, MBS, published a proof-of-concept article where they tested our software running a 26+ million record web service supporting 38,000 requests in 3 minutes, and were very excited about the results:
“MBS, the client, and Esri were extremely impressed with the performance results of this POC when compared to a traditional environment. ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes certainly has its benefits and deserves strong consideration when architecting high-load GIS systems.”
ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes will be transformational for your business. Want to know more about Kubernetes? Watch this recorded webinar from Rok Technologies on best practices for getting started with Kubernetes; key considerations for adopting Kubernetes to orchestrate your containerized applications at scale; and when, where and why you should use it. Or, contact your account manager directly for specifics on pricing and setup, or contact our sales team.
Article Discussion: