Automating Configuration for Non-AWS Software on EKS

🔑Unlock the Full Power of EKS for Your Entire Software Ecosystem

The Challenge: Manual Complexity Halting EKS Adoption

Enterprises are rapidly adopting Amazon EKS for its scalability, resilience, and operational efficiency. However, a significant roadblock emerges when integrating complex Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) and other non-AWS-native software. These critical applications often require extensive, manual configuration steps, leading to:

• High Operational Risk: Human error in complex, multi-step procedures leads to costly outages and security vulnerabilities.

• Slow Time-to-Market: Manual configuration becomes the bottleneck, delaying feature releases and innovation.

• Compliance Headaches: Lack of an auditable, version-controlled configuration process makes satisfying regulatory mandates challenging.

• Limited Resilience: Disaster recovery becomes a lengthy, manual ordeal, impacting business continuity.

Our Solution: Automated Resilience and Delivery Pipeline for EKS

Footprint IT Solutions specialises in transforming this challenge into a competitive advantage. We provide dedicated Platform Engineering to eliminate the high-risk, high-toil process of manually configuring third-party applications on AWS EKS.

Our service delivers a complete, customised, and automated pipeline that converts traditional manual setup into a robust GitOps practice. This ensures your non-AWS software is deployed securely, configured correctly, and ready for high-speed, regulated enterprise environments.

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How We Deliver: Custom Kubernetes Operator Development

The core of our solution is the development of a bespoke Kubernetes Operator.

What it is: A Kubernetes Operator is a custom-built, intelligent controller that extends the native capabilities of Kubernetes. For your specific non-AWS application, our Operator acts as a Master Robot.

How it works:

1. Simple Declaration: You define your desired application configuration in a simple, version-controlled YAML file (stored in Git).

2. Intelligent Automation: Our custom GoLang Kubernetes Operator reads this simple declaration.

3. Complex Execution: It then automatically translates it into the precise, multi-step API calls required to configure and manage your third-party application, enforcing its desired state continuously.

This approach converts manual, high-risk operational procedures into reliable, version-controlled software development practices.        Click Here for Reference Architecture Diagram

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Key Use Cases & Benefits

By adopting our automated configuration service, your organisation will achieve:

1. Accelerated Innovation & Speed-to-Market: Eliminate manual bottlenecks and deploy application updates and new services with guaranteed readiness, significantly improving your ability to respond to market demands.

2. Guaranteed Operational Resilience: Dramatically reduce disaster recovery times and ensure continuous stability. Our automated pipelines and the self-healing capabilities of Kubernetes enforce desired configurations, making your systems inherently more robust.

3. Integrated Regulatory Compliance: Achieve robust security and integrated compliance features. Every configuration change is version-controlled and auditable (via Git), satisfying demanding mandates and unlocking new global markets for your applications.

4. Reduced Human Error & Toil: Convert error-prone manual tasks into predictable, automated software, freeing your Platform Engineering team to focus on higher-value initiatives.

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Who This Service Is For

This service is ideal for mid-to-large enterprises in highly regulated industries such as Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government, as well as Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) selling B2B solutions.

You are likely:

• Platform/DevOps Engineering Teams: Grappling with the complexity of integrating COTS or third-party software on EKS.

• Enterprise Architects: Seeking to standardise and automate deployments across a diverse software ecosystem.

• CTOs/CIOs: Prioritising operational risk mitigation, improved compliance, and faster innovation cycles.

Your organisation is committed to Amazon EKS or Kubernetes adoption but is currently experiencing roadblocks with non-native software, resulting in high-risk operations, slow application deployment cycles, or difficulty passing technical audits.

Our Engagement & Delivery Model

Footprint IT Solutions delivers this service as a defined-scope, professional services engagement, ensuring a tailored and effective outcome.

1. Discovery & Design (Typically 1-2 Weeks)

• Objective: Understand the target application's configuration model and API surface.

• Activities: In-depth workshops, API documentation review, current state assessment.

• Key Deliverables: Detailed Target Application API/Configuration Model, Finalised Statement of Work (SOW), Kubernetes Custom Resource Definition (CRD) Schema.

2. Development & Integration (Typically 4-6 Weeks)

• Objective: Build and integrate the custom Kubernetes Operator and automated pipeline.

• Activities: GoLang Kubernetes Operator development, CI/CD pipeline configuration, initial configuration management tests.

• Key Deliverables: Custom Kubernetes Operator source code, Containerised deployment artefacts, Initial automated test suite.

3. Testing & Enablement (Typically 1-2 Weeks)

• Objective: Validate the solution in a production-like environment and enable your team.

• Activities: Full deployment into UAT/Production-like environments, comprehensive end-to-end testing, detailed knowledge transfer sessions, creation of operational runbooks.

• Key Deliverables: Fully Automated GitOps Pipeline, Comprehensive Operational Runbooks, FTR-aligned documentation, Team enablement.

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Why Choose Footprint IT Solutions?

As an AWS Partner with deep expertise in AWS Kubernetes Platform Engineering (EKS Focus), we bring unparalleled experience in building resilient, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructures. Our proven track record, demonstrated by successful engagements with organisations like Crown Commercial Service and Sky, underlines our ability to deliver high-stakes, transformative solutions.