Developers and platform teams both want Kubernetes self-service. They disagree on who owns it.
What do developers want? Kubernetes environments when they need them. What do they not want? Those environments after a week The post Developers and platform teams both want Kubernetes self-service. They disagree on who owns it. appeared first on The New Stack .
Developers desire Kubernetes environments on demand, while platform teams manage the associated costs, access controls, and policy adherence. The core challenge of Kubernetes self-service lies in determining which aspects should be handed over to developers and which should remain under platform team control. To address this, HPE's CNCF-certified Kubernetes distribution, HKS, and HPE Morpheus Software were highlighted in an interview.
HKS integrates with Morpheus Software to offer lifecycle management of Kubernetes environments alongside other resources such as VMs, infrastructure, and clouds. Morpheus Advanced Software caters to on-premises private-cloud scenarios, while Morpheus Enterprise Software extends Kubernetes and application operations across hybrid and public clouds.
The self-service paradox arises as open-source Kubernetes provides orchestration and APIs but lacks a complete operating model. Platform teams often struggle with tool and package sprawl, as they must curate and maintain a constantly evolving ecosystem of third-party CNCF tooling for networking, storage, ingress, identity, and policy enforcement.
Additionally, managing Day-2 lifecycle and hybrid footprints adds complexity, especially when clusters span various environments. Giving developers direct access to raw Kubernetes APIs merely shifts the operational burden to them, as they would then debug manifests and storage drivers instead of writing code. The optimal solution lies in a controlled path: developers can request pre-approved Kubernetes services, while the platform team defines access, configuration, placement, approvals, and lifecycle controls.
Approved Kubernetes services include factors like pre-tested Kubernetes versions, node count templates, resource quotas, integrated toolsets, IDE environments, lease and duration limits, network isolation, identity-provider integration, security policies, and cost allocation. This division of responsibility ensures developers have a streamlined process for deploying applications while platform teams maintain control over standardized request, governance, and lifecycle processes.
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