Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2019. Read them in this 11th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed by Ben
Bromhead, CTO, Instaclustr
DBaaS Providers Turn Attention to Containerization
Somehow,
someway, this year has seen a few of my
2018 predictions more or less come to fruition.
Database-as-a-Service providers have indeed moved toward managing more data-layer
components (such as services to process streaming data). DBaaS solutions have
also gravitated toward delivering stronger capabilities around scaling clusters
to meet the ebbs and flows of demand, and made strides toward providing greater
reliability and uptime. Additionally, open source solutions have certainly
continued to enjoy a growing popularity within enterprise environments. These
larger companies increasingly see the cost and flexibility appeal created by
freedom from vendor lock-in, and rightfully are putting confidence in powerful
- and secure - open source solutions backed by loyal and active communities.
With
2019 already on the near horizon, expect hosted and managed database services
to really reckon with the rise of container technologies, improve their
delivery of core data layer components (while meeting the need for greater
facility with data), and embrace more diverse cloud strategies.
Here's
what the industry ought to expect from the DBaaS ecosystem in 2019:
1. Kubernetes'
popularity will make containerization of Apache Cassandra far more common.
Adoption
of Kubernetes and Cassandra both continue to swell
- and demand is understandably building from developers who want to use them in
tandem. Pairing Kubernetes container orchestration with the availability and
scalability that Cassandra delivers for cloud-based applications will hold such
appeal that DBaaS providers will quickly adapt to meet this need in 2019. And
while running Cassandra databases on Kubernetes is relatively simple in the
beginning, utilizing the technology at a high-level means overcoming a number
of hurdles that DBaaS providers will be glad to help alleviate.
For
our part at Instaclustr, we've pursued an open source project alongside other
contributors to build a Cassandra operator, which functions as a
Cassandra-as-a-Service on Kubernetes. The initial version of this free and open
source operator is now available on GitHub
(where open source support for Docker Images can also be found). Work on the
Cassandra operator will continue to produce iterative improvements and
additions, including incorporating Cassandra SideCar as a solution for handling
backup and repair responsibilities. Expect the industry to increasingly make
the most of Kubernetes-meets-Cassandra tools (and those for other databases) that
take advantage of containerization throughout 2019.
2. DBaaS providers will
deliver more integrations and holistic management of core data layer components
- especially when it comes to analytics.
Enterprises, whether they rely on DBaaS providers or not, unsurprisingly
continue to collect and store more data. This data isn't an end unto itself,
however: businesses demand capabilities that allow them to better harness their
data and yield valuable insights. DBaaS providers will increasingly fulfill
this need in 2019 by incorporating more data analytics solutions into their
offerings. In line with this trend, we've introduced Elasticsearch to our Instaclustr Managed Platform, as a way for developers to search and analyze their data in
real-time while receiving other open source technologies in a single platform. Look
for solutions like this to pop up across the DBaaS industry that give developers
greater control of their data (and to become a point of differentiation among
DBaaS providers).
3. Hybrid and multi-cloud
strategies see an enterprise uptick.
Enterprise strategies are maturing, as many that have already completed
their transitions to cloud infrastructures now look to add greater resilience
and preserve their tactical options. Expect to see enterprises really start to embrace
hybrid and multi-cloud strategies in 2019, which ensure that the solutions they
use - and the applications they develop - are capable of operating across
different cloud providers. Enterprises can therefore insulate themselves from vendor
lock-in, save on costs, and optimize their solutions for performance, all while
greatly improving their reliability as well.
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About the Author
Ben
Bromhead is CTO at Instaclustr, which provides a managed service platform of
open source technologies including Apache Cassandra, Apache Kafka, Apache Spark
and more. Prior to Instaclustr (which he co-founded), Ben had been working as
an independent consultant developing NoSQL solutions for enterprises. He is
based out of Instaclustr's Silicon Valley office.