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Openshift Vs Kubernetes: Difference Between Openshift & Kubernetes

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16th Sep, 2020
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Openshift Vs Kubernetes: Difference Between Openshift & Kubernetes

OpenShift and Kubernetes are based on containerization. It can be considered as bundling of different applications for effective development, management, and deployment across different infrastructures. It enables scalability and offers more efficient application development. More than 75% of Businesses are expected to leverage containerization by 2022.     

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This article is about the two commonly used platforms: OpenShift and Kubernetes. Let’s have a look at their features and differences.

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What Is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration project that helps users manage clustered groups of hosts running Linux containers. It is a portable containerization system, helping developers in service management. Some of the features are automatic application deployment, operations, scaling, container balancing, self-monitoring, etc.

It was developed at Google. In 2015, it was donated to Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Hence, the Kubernetes community is managed by CNCF, and volunteer contributions are looking for development and releases. Red Hat is associated with Kubernetes even before the launch. Since then, it has become the second leading contributor to Kubernetes. 

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What is OpenShift?

OpenShift is a software product that contains Kubernetes container management components with added security and productivity features. It is an enterprise open-source container orchestration platform. The word ‘OpenShift’ refers to downstream container orchestration technology. It is derived from OLD open source projects.

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This family of containerization software, OpenShift, is created by Red Hat. According to Red Hat, Kubernetes is the kernel of distributed systems, while OpenShift is the distribution. OpenShift can be considered as containerization software and a PaaS. It is partly created on Docker (containerization platform).

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Some of the features of OpenShift are built-in monitoring, consistent security, compatibility with Kubernetes container workloads, integration with a variety of tools, centralized policy management, self-service provisioning, etc. It allows developers to develop, test, and deploy applications on the cloud. It supports programming languages like Python, PHP, Ruby, Java, etc.

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OpenShift and Kubernetes Working

OpenShift and Kubernetes both manage clusters, a group of containers. The cluster consists of two sections: Master and Nodes. Each node has its own Linux operating system. Containers run in nodes. The master maintains the overall state of the cluster, and nodes perform the actual computing work.

OpenShift is based on Kubernetes and has a lot in common. However, there are several differences between both platforms. Let’s have a comparison of OpenShift and Kubernetes features. 

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Kubernetes Vs. OpenShift

Kubernetes and OpenShift have robust and scalable architecture that enables rapid and large-scale application development, deployment, and management. Also, they both run on the Apache License 2.0. Apart from these similarities between Open-Shift and Kubernetes, there are differences too.

Deployment

As compared to OpenShift, Kubernetes is more flexible as an open-source framework. It can be installed on almost any platform such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP, Ubuntu, Debian, etc. Whereas OpenShift requires Red Hat Enterprise Linux Atomic Host (RHELAH), CentOS, or Fedora. For businesses that are not using these platforms, OpenShift limits the possibilities.

Both products are based on Linux but run in a different environment.

Security

The security policies of OpenShift are stricter as compared to Kubernetes. There are no built-in authorization and authentication facilities in Kubernetes. The developer needs to create bearer tokens and other authentication procedures manually. Whereas in OpenShift, there is a secure-by-default option for enhanced security purposes.

Support

The support community of OpenShift is smaller than Kubernetes. There is a large active community of developers in Kubernetes. They actively work for the betterment of the platform. Whereas the support community of OpenShift is limited to mainly Red Hat developers.

Releases

The average number of releases in Kubernetes is around 4 per year, whereas OpenShift has three.

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Rollout

Kubernetes and OpenShift both are complex in terms of rolling out. Kubernetes has countless options for creating cluster on-premises such as Rancher Kubernetes Everywhere (RKE). Whereas OpenShift avoids the need for additional components after the initial rollout. Hence, there is an Ansible-based installer for installing OpenShift with the least configuration parameters.

Updates

Several concurrent and simultaneous updates are supported by Kubernetes, whereas OpenShift does not support DeploymentConfig.

Networking

Kubernetes users need to employ third-party network plug-ins for networking solutions. Whereas OpenShift has Open vSwitch, a network solution that has three native plug-ins.

Templates

The Helm templates of Kubernetes are flexible and easy to use. In comparison, OpenShift templates are complex and not user-friendly.

Web-UI

The dashboard of Kubernetes is needed to be installed separately. The access is made via Kube proxy. There is no login page. As a result, the web-UI of Kubernetes is not much helpful for daily administrative work. Whereas, OpenShift has a login page. Hence, it can be easily accessed. It allows creation and change of resources via a form.

Integrated Image Registry

In Kubernetes, there is no integrated image registry concept. Users need to set up their own Docker registry. Whereas OpenShift has an integrated image registry. It can be used with Red Hat or Docker Hub. The registry console of OpenShift also helps in searching for images or image streams.

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Container Image Management

Kubernetes does not provide container image management. Whereas the container images in OpenShift are managed by Image Stream.

Check out: Kubernetes Vs. Docker: Primary Differences You Should Know

Difference between OpenShift and Kubernetes

The comparative features of OpenShift and Kubernetes can be listed as

Criteria                                    OpenShiftKubernetes
DeploymentLimited optionsMore flexible
SecurityEnhanced security,

 

No built-in authorization and authentication facilities
SupportSmaller, mainly Red Hat developers.A large active community of developers
ReleasesOn average 3 per yr.On average 4 per yr.
RolloutAnsible-based installer for installing OpenShift with the least configuration parameters.Countless Options
UpdatesDoes not support DeploymentConfigSeveral concurrent and simultaneous updates
NetworkingOpen vSwitch (three native plug-ins)Third-party network plug-ins
TemplatesComplex and not friendlyFlexible and easy
Web-UIWeb console with login pageNo login page
Integrated Image RegistryHas an integrated image registryDoesn’t have
Container Image ManagementImage StreamDoes Not Provide

Also Read: 12 Interesting Docker Project Ideas For Beginners

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Which One Is Better?

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OpenShift and Kubernetes are both open-source platforms that aim to facilitate application development and container orchestration. They offer easy deployment and management of containerized apps. Both are based on a similar core. The web console of OpenShift allows users to perform around 80% of tasks directly.  

The selection between OpenShift and Kubernetes depends on the user requirements and how flexible the interface is required for the development.

If you want to learn and master Kubernetes, Openshift, and more, check out IIIT-B & upGrad’s PG Diploma in Full Stack Software Development Program.

Profile

Rohit Sharma

Blog Author
Rohit Sharma is the Program Director for the UpGrad-IIIT Bangalore, PG Diploma Data Analytics Program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1What are the containers of the docker container?

Developers and system administrators can use Docker to create, ship, and run distributed applications. Docker is a tool that uses containers to make it easier to construct, deploy, and operate applications. Containers allow you to package an application along with all of its dependencies into a standardized software development unit. It also guarantees that applications are portable and consistent across environments. Containers, like virtual machines, allow a single server to run numerous isolated applications without the need to create a new virtual machine for each one. The files and folders that make up the program are the containers of docker. The program code, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings are all included in it.

2Why is the IT industry booming so much?

Because it is always changing and expanding to satisfy the demands of businesses and consumers, the IT industry is booming. Because they can stay up with the latest trends and technology, IT experts are in high demand. It is a continually changing and growing industry, which is why it is so popular. It also provides a diverse range of job opportunities. It can also be a very profitable industry for individuals who can keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Jobs in the IT field are also in high demand, so there are plenty of prospects to progress.

3What are the best programming languages for DevOps?

There is no one-size-fits-all response to this question in the DevOps world. Depending on their individual needs and preferences, different companies will have different preferences. Python, Ruby, Java, and Go are some of the most popular DevOps languages. Python is commonly used for scripting and automation, but Ruby is known for its ability to write code that is concise and easy to understand. Go is gaining popularity for its capacity to handle large-scale projects, whereas Java is a versatile language that can be used for a variety of applications.

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