CoreOS is folding the latest Kubernetes iteration and a simplified deployment model into its Tectonic managed enterprise service product.

Tectonic is designed as a single platform that can run across cloud and bare metal environments. It supports the running, managing, scaling, and sharing of cloud resources across an organization.

Tectonic 1.8, launching this month, will include a pure version of the recently released Kubernetes 1.8 platform. Reza Shafii, vice president of products at CoreOS, said the distinction means there are not any “forks or custom patches” in the Kubernetes code that might affect future upgradeability.

Kubernetes 1.8 includes specific updates to security, auditing, and application management. The project is currently on a three-month update cycle, with the next version due around the end of the year.

Shafii explained that while CoreOS does not alter the Kubernetes code, the company does put it through a vetting process before integrating it into the Tectonic platform for enterprise use.

“There was a version of 1.7 that we planned to use but found a major issue and had to abort,” Shafii said. “The due diligence we put that version through added a lot of value to our customers, and we poured it back into the community.”

CoreOS launched its Tectonic 1.7 product with Kubernetes 1.7 support in mid-August.

Tectonic 1.8 will also include CoreOS’ Open Cloud Services catalog that Shafii said will allow for easier installation and application management while avoiding vendor lock-in. The catalog offers open source options for automating maintenance tasks, including one-click, zero-downtime updates; disaster recovery; and horizontal scaling.

The catalog will initially support CoreOS’ etcd, which stores data across a cluster of virtual machines (VMs); the open source Prometheus container monitoring platform; and the Vault cloud native secrets management platform.

“Customers are going for managed services because they are fully operated for them, but they are then typically locked into that vendor,” Shafii explained. “Our DNA is open source and we will continue to take that as our strategy.”

Tectonic 1.8 also can manage the installed version of Docker Engine, and it updates the version to the most recent validated release.

Current Tectonic 1.7 customers are able to upgrade to 1.8 through the CoreOS automated console. The platform supports cloud deployments on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and on premises. Shafii said work continues on adding support for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and other cloud providers.

According to recent reports, Kubernetes has emerged as the dominant container orchestration platform, controlling more than 70 percent of the market. This far outpaces other platforms such as Docker Swarm and Mesosphere.

Despite the dominance, analysts have noted that moving Kubernetes into a production environment remains a challenge for many organizations. This has led to a growing number of “enterprise” and managed platforms like Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) attempting to remove deployment hurdles.

“Kubernetes is the clear leader in container orchestration, but its complexity can make it challenging to move into production," said Jay Lyman, principal analyst for cloud management and containers at 451 Research.

Lyman recently told SDxCentral that his company’s surveys have shown most enterprises are interested in training their existing staff on Kubernetes with about half also looking to tap outside vendors and consultants.