AKS Container Platform Design: 8-Wk Implementation

Microsoft’s Kubernetes implementation (AKS) is a comprehensive solution for hosting container workloads at scale on Microsoft Azure. Getting the AKO design just right is a key step before production workloads and services are deployed. BlakYaks have established enterprise-grade designs, patterns and frameworks that help prepare a customer for deploying AKS safely and securely with a mature operational framework ready for managing at scale. This engagement provides a comprehensive high-level design that includes core eco-system technologies, processes, policies and an operational framework.

While AKS is a comprehensive service, mid-large customers will need to ensure the design process considers the life-cycle management of the entire hosting platform including security, governance, policies, controls, logging and monitoring and maintenance. This design engagement addresses both the enterprise container platform architecture (underpinned by AKS) but also the full operational design. The platform design will also ensure that the platform is ready to be managed with code (IaC) throughout its life cycle.

The attention to strong design methods will result is a secure, scalable, automated, compliant hosting platform with a lower total cost of ownership. 3rd party and open-source tools (e.g. CNCF tools) will be included in the design to ensure that any exceptional customer needs are fully addressed over the long term.

The design will fully prepare the customer to build and/or migrate production grade applications onto the platform with full confidence.

The service is delivered by an expert professional services team that have been building enterprise container platforms in Microsoft Azure for several years and have developed strong standards, design patterns and automation code for these platforms that are proven across various enterprise businesses. The team will deliver certainty around all aspects of the design ahead of starting any deployment/build/coding work. A core output of this service is a high quality and detailed design document with customer requirements / priorities clearly documented with priorities measured (using MoSCoW analysis). The design engagement accelerate customers to an agreed design with inputs from key stakeholders fully considered/addressed (e.g. Infrastructure, Security and Developers) and the design agreed/signed ahead of any subsequent deployment/build activities covering all aspects of the technology architecture and operational design. This professional design service shortens the design effort by 6-12 months.