Support policy for container delivery models
You can deploy Cognos® Analytics Certified Containers by using a supported deployment model. The support policy differs depending on the model that you use. You can create your own containers or choose any of the supported deployment models.
Cognos Analytics provides flexible and extensive support options for container deployments. The container support policy outlines the differences in the support policy for Red Hat® OpenShift® Container Platform and other Kubernetes platform.
- IBM® containers on any Kubernetes platform - an improvement to the custom approach is a more prescriptive model that delivers containers and the associated Cognos Analytics Operator that are built to be enterprise-ready production images. These containers are packaged with container editions and are validated for cloud deployment by using the certification tools that are provided by Red Hat. You can deploy the containers to any public or private cloud by using the cloud provider’s Kubernetes-based proprietary orchestration tools.
- IBM containers on Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform - This model is a further improvement of the previous model that allows to deploy the containers to any public or private cloud by using the IBM multi-cloud container orchestration tools (Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform) that provides a seamless technology coverage for all the elements of deployment.
The support policy considerations for each of these models are important for organizations to consider as they plan their investment in using the power of container technologies to run their production workload.
Container delivery models
Each container delivery model of Cognos Analytics has different components and package entitlements that are necessary for deployment. As each model is deployed with varying degrees of divergence from a prescriptive approach, the time to value the benefit for each of these models can vary significantly.
The following table explains the container delivery model of Cognos Analytics:
| IBM containers by using proprietary Kubernetes | IBM containers by using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform |
|---|---|
|
|
Capability matrix for container delivery models
The capability features and tools that are provided for container deployment differ based on the delivery model and ownership of the container creation process.
| Feature | IBM containers by using proprietary Kubernetes | IBM containers by using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform |
|---|---|---|
|
Cognos Analytics (core product functions) |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Basic documentation |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Deployment or orchestration (Cognos Analytics Helm) |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Prebuilt container images with secure certified prepackaged operating system |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Upgrade path from noncontainer to container model |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Advanced documentation (Best practices, blogs, videos, and learning materials in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform) |
✗ |
✓ |
|
✗ |
✓ |
Support policy for container delivery models
The support policies for container delivery models are:
- Support statement for IBM containers deployed on any Kubernetes platform
-
For users who choose to deploy the IBM containers on any container orchestration tools (EKS, GKE, AKS, or PCF) on public cloud such as Amazon, Azure, Google, or in their private cloud by using native Kubernetes, the IBM Technical Support is limited to the base software, containers, Cognos Analytics Helm, upgrades, deployment, and updates. The nonconformant characteristics of such tools hinder the ability to assist users.
- Support statement for IBM containers that are deployed by using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform
-
IBM containers are built to best deploy on Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. This combination provides an end-to-end enterprise-grade Kubernetes-based container orchestration platform for a complete lifecycle management of the containers and a helm chart. The product containers and deployment strategy are production ready, enterprise-grade, resilient, secure, and compliant, and scalable in any public and private cloud by using Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. The IBM Technical Support fully supports this delivery model across the complete lifecycle management of IBM containers, Cognos Analytics Helm based orchestration, and any deployment pattern in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform.
- Deprecation policy for containers images
-
The container images that are released and certified for the supported versions of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and Kubernetes container platforms that are released. When the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and Kubernetes versions are not supported, the corresponding images are also deprecated. Therefore, make sure that you upgrade to the latest version of the supported container images.
For more information about the supported container images, see Software Product Compatibility Reports.
Network policies
IBM Cognos Analytics Certified Containers consist of preconfigured software packages that run IBM Cognos Analytics in a containerized Kubernetes environment. Even though the offering runs in a single namespace, it still needs to connect to other systems outside of that environment. These external applications include, for example, databases for content management and reporting, or authentication sources that control user access and login.
The decision to apply a network policy is entirely at your discretion, based on your security requirements. Refer to the documentation provided by your preferred hypervisor vendor for information on configuring the network policies.