Benison implemented a comprehensive DevOps approach to containerize and automate the deployment of LiveNX on Kubernetes. Here’s a breakdown of the key initiatives:

• Containerization Strategy:
  • Identified necessary configurations and supporting software for each component (LiveNX UI, API, Grid UI/API, Keycloak, databases, monitoring tools).
  • Leveraged Debian packages and referenced relevant GitHub repositories for dependencies.
  • Developed a Helm chart to dynamically generate Secrets for secure management of sensitive information.
  • This approach facilitates streamlined installation, configuration, and management of LiveNX resources within Kubernetes clusters.
• Enhanced Monitoring and Maintainability:
  • Integrated Prometheus and Loki for comprehensive performance monitoring.
  • Developed custom exporters for each module in the stack to capture key metrics (some modules require development team collaboration for full implementation).
  • Improved monitoring empowers the support team to identify and resolve issues faster, leading to reduced downtime and improved user experience.
• Automated Delivery Pipelines:
  • Established a robust deployment strategy using Helm and scripting for all deployment types (on-prem, air-gapped).
  • This approach simplifies upgrades, security patching, and ensures consistent deployments across similar customer environments.
  • Developed a custom script for air-gapped environments, enabling offline export of software for manual transfer to customer infrastructure.

The DevOps transformation delivered significant benefits for LiveNX:

• Containerization enabled elastic scaling of resources based on demand, enhancing platform responsiveness.
• Automated deployments minimize manual intervention, reducing human error and accelerating release cycles.
• Comprehensive monitoring facilitates proactive identification and resolution of potential issues.
• Faster issue resolution through improved monitoring translates to minimized downtime and improved user experience.
• Automated delivery pipelines and custom scripts ensure consistent and efficient deployments across diverse customer environments.

By leveraging containerization and DevOps principles, Benison successfully modernized LiveNX, enabling them to deliver a more scalable, agile, and maintainable network visibility platform. This case study demonstrates the power of DevOps in transforming legacy applications for on-premise deployments, leading to improved user experience and operational efficiency.