OpenShift and Kubernetes (often abbreviated as "K8s") are closely related, but they are not the same thing. OpenShift is a Kubernetes distribution, which means it builds on Kubernetes by adding additional features and tools. Here's a breakdown of the key differences:
1. Platform vs. Container Orchestration
- Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform. It provides the basic framework for deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications across clusters of machines.
- OpenShift is an enterprise Kubernetes platform developed by Red Hat. It includes Kubernetes as its core but also provides additional tools and features that make it more suitable for enterprise environments.
2. Installation and Setup
- Kubernetes: While Kubernetes provides powerful features, setting up and configuring a Kubernetes cluster can be complex. It requires you to manually configure various components like networking, storage, and security.
- OpenShift: OpenShift simplifies the installation process by providing more integrated tools and automated workflows. It often requires fewer steps to get a fully functional cluster up and running.
3. Security Features
- Kubernetes: Kubernetes provides the basics for security, such as Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and network policies, but it requires manual configuration and integration with external tools for many advanced features.
- OpenShift: OpenShift includes more out-of-the-box security features, such as integrated authentication, automatic TLS, and secure multitenancy. It also enforces stricter security policies by default, such as running containers with non-root users.
4. Developer Experience
- Kubernetes: Kubernetes offers powerful tools for developers, but it assumes a deep understanding of its internals. The developer experience is more barebones, relying heavily on the CLI and manual configuration files.
- OpenShift: OpenShift enhances the developer experience with additional tools like Source-to-Image (S2I) for automated builds, integrated CI/CD pipelines, and a web-based management console. These tools are designed to simplify the development workflow and reduce the need for deep Kubernetes expertise.
5. Web Console
- Kubernetes: The Kubernetes Dashboard is a simple web interface that provides a basic overview of your cluster. However, it is limited in features and requires additional setup.
- OpenShift: OpenShift provides a more feature-rich web console that offers advanced management, monitoring, and configuration capabilities. The console is designed to be more user-friendly and accessible to both developers and operators.
6. CI/CD Integration
- Kubernetes: Kubernetes does not include built-in CI/CD tools, so you need to integrate third-party solutions like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or Tekton.
- OpenShift: OpenShift comes with integrated CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins out-of-the-box. This integration simplifies setting up automated workflows and continuous delivery pipelines.
7. Enterprise Support
- Kubernetes: While Kubernetes has a large open-source community and many companies offer support, it is primarily community-driven. Enterprise support can vary depending on the provider (e.g., Google Kubernetes Engine, Amazon EKS, etc.).
- OpenShift: As a Red Hat product, OpenShift comes with enterprise-grade support, including long-term support (LTS), regular updates, and a strong focus on security and compliance. This makes it particularly attractive for organizations that require robust support.
8. Ecosystem and Tools
- Kubernetes: Kubernetes has a large ecosystem of tools and plugins, but it requires manual selection, integration, and configuration. This can be flexible but also complex.
- OpenShift: OpenShift provides a more curated set of tools and integrations out-of-the-box, reducing the need for manual configuration. It also includes OpenShift-specific tools that are not available in vanilla Kubernetes, such as OpenShift Service Mesh and OpenShift Serverless.
Summary:
- Kubernetes is a powerful, flexible container orchestration platform, but it requires more manual setup and expertise.
- OpenShift is a more opinionated, enterprise-ready platform that builds on Kubernetes, adding features, integrations, and support to simplify deployment, management, and security for organizations.
In essence, if Kubernetes is the engine, OpenShift is the fully-featured car that provides a smoother ride and comes with extra features tailored for enterprise use.
