Tooling often lags behind big technology trends, which is why the container tools industry is being forced to mature quickly as Docker adoption takes off.
When dealing with garbage collection was a serious challenge for those managing Java Virtual Machines, TheServerSide spent a fair bit of time talking to Amit Pandey about data caching and GC algorithms. But Pandey has moved on from the world of variable waste management and has set his sights on the world of software container tools.
Container tools struggle to catch up
As new technologies emerge, the tooling to address peripheral concerns like security, policy management and analytics always lags behind, and that's a very accurate description of the current state of affairs in terms of container tools for technologies like Docker, Swarm and Kuberneties. Encouraged by the work Avi Networks was doing in the container tools space, Pandy joined Avi in the capacity as their CEO. "We provide a whole host of services an application developer or operator would need, especially in the context of cloud apps, working in containers and in private or hybrid clouds," said Pandey.
Right out of the box, if you're building an elastic infrastructure with containers, you've got the ability to orchestrate and manage.
Amit Pandey, Avi Networks
Many organizations have successfully used container technologies to address one-off needs, be it creating a lightweight and reliable testing environment, or deploying a small suite of microservices. These small-scale successes are motivating organizations to engage in a wider adoption of container technologies. But as organizations move deeper into the world of containerization, or try to swap out virtualized infrastructure with container-based ones, they are running into unforeseen challenges due to the lack of maturity of container tools in this space.
Moving from virtualized to containerized infrastructure
According to Pandey, Avi Networks can greatly simplify the task of containerizing their systems. "Right out of the box, if you're building an elastic infrastructure with containers, you've got the ability to orchestrate and manage container-based microservices, you can manage traffic, and you can get data on which microservices are talking to other microserivces," said Pandey. Many organizations would expect these functions to be built natively into the binaries of tools like Docker or Swarm, but surprisingly they are not, and that's why so much innovation is happening in the container tools space.
To learn more about container tools, Avi Networks and the challenges organizations are encountering as they move away from virtualization and towards containerization, listen to the full interview between TheServerSide's Cameron McKenzie and Avi Networks' Amit Pandey.
