Case
From Fragmented Infrastructure to a Robust Kubernetes Solution
Background on the case
One of Europe’s leading mobile and fixed network providers faced significant challenges with its existing infrastructure. Various teams had independently set up containerised applications using different methods—from Docker Compose on single machines to inconsistently configured Kubernetes clusters. This fragmented approach led to inefficiencies, limited high availability, and increased complexity in management. The solution involved fully optimizing their on-premises infrastructure, ensuring it was both efficient and future-proof. This case underscores the value of a strategic, balanced approach: maximizing existing resources while integrating cloud solutions only when it genuinely enhances value.
The challenge
Navigating Fragmented Infrastructure
The main challenge for the provider was creating a robust, unified managed cluster environment that could resolve the inefficiencies of their previous approach. The disparate setups hindered standardisation, making operational resilience and consistency difficult to maintain. These fragmented environments were not only resource-intensive but also posed significant risks to service reliability, especially for legacy applications requiring constant uptime.
The solution
Leveraging Underutilized Resources to Build a Kubernetes Environment
Merapar proposed leveraging the underutilized resources of existing ESX clusters to create an on-premises Kubernetes environment focused solely on virtual machines. By reusing these resources, Merapar was able to implement a high-availability cluster with balanced workloads. This approach maximized the value of the company’s existing investments by utilizing infrastructure that was purchased some time ago. With container portability, they can seamlessly run workloads on-premises, which is particularly advantageous for legacy 24/7 applications that are not yet optimized for the cloud. While the cloud remains a viable option for other workloads, the on-premises Kubernetes cluster optimizes resource utilization and enhances operational resilience, making it a strategic win for the company.
Technologies involved:
Robin Valk
Software Engineer
Transforming fragmented systems into a unified, resilient infrastructure was no small feat, but seeing the immediate impact on scalability and reliability made every challenge worth it.
The Results
Achieving Scalability, Resilience, and Flexibility
By rethinking its infrastructure strategy and optimizing existing resources, the provider has achieved several key benefits:
- Scalability: The Kubernetes environment is now scalable, enabling easy adaptation to changing demands.
- Resilience: The high-availability setup ensures balanced workloads , enhancing infrastructure resilience.
- Flexibility: They can now flexibly run workloads on-premises, optimizing resource utilization based on application requirements.
- Cost Efficiency: Leveraging existing infrastructure investments has minimized additional capital expenditure while providing a modern container management system.
Our collaboration with this European telecommunications provider demonstrates how rethinking infrastructure strategies and optimizing resources can lead to a scalable, resilient, and flexible solution that meets the complex demands of modern telecommunications. At Merapar, we are strong believers of a pragmatic hybrid approach to maximize existing investments while allowing customers to strategically deploy cloud resources where they added the most value. So it is not about migrating everything to the cloud, it is about leveraging the best out of both worlds.
