The Challenge
Bridging the Gap Between Cloud Native Containerization and Legacy VM Infrastructure
Our telecommunications client faced a significant challenge as they sought alternatives to VMware due to concerns over increased costs following VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom. Their existing infrastructure was heavily optimized for VMware, with specific networking, storage, and architectural setups tailored to the platform. The main challenge was migrating from this legacy VMware-based infrastructure to a modern containerization platform using KubeVirt which sits at the heart of the Kubermatic Cloud Stack (KCS), without disrupting established processes and infrastructure.
A key part of the challenge was shifting from the VMware mentality — where infrastructure is tightly coupled and stateful—to a containerization platform where everything is stateless and orchestrated. The transition posed several hurdles, including differences in networking, storage models, and overall architecture between traditional virtualized environments and cloud-native containerization. Additionally, KubeVirt, originally designed to run legacy workloads alongside containers, was not intended as a direct replacement for VMware. Therefore finding a “sweet spot” where KubeVirt could mimic the existing VMware environment without requiring a complete overhaul of the client’s infrastructure was critical to overcoming these challenges.
The Solution
Creating a Multi-Tenant Platform with KVM and KKP for Seamless Integration of VMs and Containerized Workloads
The solution was the development of a platform that enabled our telecommunications client to run KVM-based virtual machines, similar to VMware’s vSphere or Cloud Director. This platform supported multi-tenancy, allowing different VMs to operate in dedicated VPCs, subnets, and storage environments. A special network fabric and CNIs were implemented to enable this level of isolation between tenants, allowing VMs from different tenants to run on the same infrastructure securely. Additionally, the Kubermatic Kubernetes Platform (KKP) was used to orchestrate the compute power, making the platform highly efficient for managing both VMs and containerized workloads. This platform bridged the gap between legacy VMs and modern cloud-native infrastructure.
The Impact
Cost Efficiency and Greater Control with a Flexible, Open-Source Private Cloud Solution
The primary impact of implementing Kubermatic Cloud Stack (KCS) for our client was significant cost efficiency and enhanced control over their infrastructure. By moving away from VMware’s expensive, all-inclusive licensing model — driven up by Broadcom’s acquisition — the client was able to adopt a more flexible and cost-effective solution. KCS, built on predominantly open-source components, provided our telecommunications customer with greater customization and integration capabilities, reducing vendor lock-in and allowing seamless integration with other products. This shift not only improved their operational efficiency but also offered better control and adaptability in managing their private cloud infrastructure.
Telecommunications
Faced with the need to modernize its legacy infrastructure, the client sought to transition from traditional VMware-based systems to a more flexible, cloud-native platform. With a strong focus on innovation and efficiency, the company aimed to reduce costs while maintaining its high standards of service, driving the need for a scalable and open-source private cloud solution. This shift was critical to supporting their diverse operational needs, from managing customer data to enabling new digital services in a competitive telecommunications landscape.
