Rock8cloud: Reliable Kubernetes Application Operations

“We have invested a great deal of time, know-how, and experience in developing Rock8cloud,” says Rocketeer Adam Havelka, who has led the project since Rock8cloud first came to life. In the following interview, he talks about the challenges he had to overcome and how the project took shape.

What is Kubernetes, and where can it run with Rock8cloud?

Kubernetes is a platform for automating the management of applications in containers. It makes it easy to deploy, scale, and maintain applications so they remain reliable and secure.

With Rock8cloud, you have several options for where your applications can run:

1) On your premises: Our on-premises deployment runs entirely on the customer’s infrastructure, under their full control.

2) A cluster in the cloud: We make sure the cluster runs reliably and without restrictions, in line with the chosen provider.

3) A cluster managed by us, hosted in a European data centre. This gives you confidence that it meets data protection requirements and applicable legislation. You do not need to deal with complex configuration, security updates, or availability, we manage it all.

Which technologies do you use to build on Kubernetes?

Our stack ranges from Docker and Harbor through GitLab CI, Argo CD, and Helm to Prometheus, Grafana, Velero, and Vault. The result is a fast, secure, and stable environment, ideal for development teams as well as critical production applications.

Containerisation

• Applications are packaged in containers defined by a Dockerfile.
• Container images are stored in a registry, such as your own Harbor instance or Docker Hub.

CI/CD

• Code quality and buildability are checked before deployment.
• Applications are deployed automatically, without downtime.
• Every change in Git is automatically deployed to the selected environment (production or development), with tests included.

Monitoring

• Prometheus collects metrics from clusters and applications.
• Grafana visualises data and metrics through dashboards for IT and business teams.
• Alertmanager sends real-time alerts about problems, for example by email, Slack, or Teams.
• Loki / ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) handles logging and event analysis.

Kubernetes cluster

• A stable environment where the application runs across multiple virtual machines.
• Deploying a new version does not interrupt the service, the application runs in several replicas.
• While the new version is being deployed, the previous one remains available and keeps the service running.

Management

• Regular updates to the system and Kubernetes, without downtime.
• A backup and recovery plan that protects data, including in unexpected situations.

What if I already have my own Kubernetes cluster and want to move it?

We handle the entire cluster migration, whether it involves data, applications, or configuration. First, we analyse the current solution, propose an approach, and plan the migration to make it smooth and downtime-free. During the migration, we can also make optimisations, for example, scaling or changing the monitoring setup.

How do you protect applications and data?

Security comes first. We use container isolation, encryption at rest and in transit, and regular updates across the entire stack. Kubernetes also makes it easy to isolate individual applications and prevent unwanted access.

Have you faced any specific challenges while running these services?

Yes. For example, at Divadlo Mír we had to keep the service running during sudden traffic spikes, such as when tickets went on sale. In practice, that meant adding more servers immediately.

What do you think makes Rock8cloud different from competing solutions?

We take care of the entire operation, from backups and stability to regular updates and deployment processes. We can respond quickly to new customer requirements, so they can rely on their systems running smoothly without downtime. The main advantage over competing solutions is that customers do not need their own cloud operations team.

The service also includes training for the customer’s team. Developers get the access and knowledge they need to work with their applications, including information about errors and service status in tools such as Grafana or Argo CD. We secure communications with free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt.

Adam, thanks for a great interview and for giving us a look behind the scenes at Rock8cloud. It was inspiring to hear how much dedication and enthusiasm went into building the project.