Automation in the cloud does not require expensive new acquisitions when tools such as Ansible, Salt, Puppet, or Chef are already in use locally and can contribute to the automatic management and orchestration of cloud workloads.
When Kubernetes needs to scale applications, it searches for free nodes that meet a container's CPU and main memory requirements; however, when the existing hardware is at full capacity, the Kubernetes Cluster Federation project (KubeFed) takes the pain out of adding clusters.
Specialized Linux distributions are available for small and midsize businesses that promise economical and easy management of server applications and entire IT infrastructures. We looked at four of the best known candidates: ClearOS, NethServer, Zentyal, and Univention Corporate Server.
A Helm chart is a template of several parts that defines, deploys, and upgrades Kubernetes apps and can be considered the standard package manager in the Kubernetes world.
Automation of network devices can be accomplished in a number of ways: with the official approaches recommended by the manufacturers; by Cumulus Linux, an open network operating system; and with the Ansible automation platform, which can communicate with devices from any vendor.
