Nutanix widened the Kubernetes container orchestration ecosystem supported by its cloud platform and added infrastructure-as-code (IaC) and advanced cloud-native data services capabilities, the vendor announced at KubeCon North America 2022. These moves aim to accelerate both the adoption of Kubernetes at scale and DevOps application delivery for Nutanix's cloud customers.

The vendor's cloud platform now supports Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service-A (EKS-A) in addition to previously offered support for Red Hat OpenShift, SUSE Rancher, and Nutanix Kubernetes Engine (NKE), along with Google Anthos and Microsoft Azure Arc for edge deployments.

ESG Senior Analyst Paul Nashawaty noted this spectrum of choice in terms of Kubernetes container development environments and cloud endpoints makes for a "compelling path to speed the deployment of modern applications at scale and in a cost-effective manner," he said in a statement.

Container development platforms like those included in Nutanix's ecosystem, for example, "promise faster application development speed, but will only be deployed by organizations who can maintain compliance, day-two operations, and cost management control at scale," Nashawaty added.

According to Nutanix SVP Lee Caswell, the fast pace of innovation is what's driving customers to choose open, ecosystem-friendly platforms that can be validated, certified, and supported for scaled enterprise deployments. "Modern applications require an extensible platform that taps into the rich innovation of the industry rather than one that limits access to innovation from just one company," Caswell told SDxCentral.

Nutanix also introduced what it describes as a built-in IaC operation model. This includes updates to its API family and the creation of software development kits (SDKs) in Java, JS, Go, and Python languages.

Caswell noted "the infrastructure-as-code operating model supports the rapid pace of application growth with developer-ready infrastructure that does not compromise day-two operations, compliance, and security," he said.

These updates should support automation at scale in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, including at the edge, in data centers, or on public clouds. A DevOps methodology can then be pushed to infrastructure using automation and IaC in combination with either Nutanix Terraform provider or Red Hat Ansible certified content.

Finally, Nutanix unveiled improved data services for cloud-native applications with its Database Service Operator for Kubernetes that targets quick and easy provisioning and attachment of databases to application stacks from within the development environment. This open source operator is available on GitHub and artifacthub.io.

These updates coupled with the Nutanix cloud platform architecture – which allows for up to multi-petabyte size deployments – make the vendor "an even stronger proposition for enterprises looking to deploy Kubernetes at scale," according to the company.