Nutanix Cloud Native AOS Brings Enterprise Storage to Diverse Kubernetes Environments

Standardize persistent data management for cloud native applications anywhere, without the need for a hypervisor

The Nutanix Cloud Native AOS (CN-AOS) solution containerizes Nutanix storage to integrate enterprise resiliency, day 2 operations, and security into heterogenous Kubernetes® clusters deployed across public clouds or on bare-metal servers.¹

Integrating persistent data services into cloud native application environments can now be achieved without the need for a hypervisor. This introduces seamless management and portability of containerized applications – and their data – with traditional virtualized datacenters.

Data Persistence for Kubernetes

Containerized applications are made up of a collection of microservices orchestrated by Kubernetes that work together to deliver functionality to end users.

Cloud native microservices have typically been stateless, delivered in controlled monolithic hyperscaler environments with a separate data persistence layer provided by each hyperscaler.

Deploying containers across the hybrid cloud, including bare metal instances, requires a new approach to managing persistent data across diverse Kubernetes environments.

Applications built using a PaaS data service typically can only be deployed on that vendor’s public cloud. Further, if an application needs to be failed-over due to an outage at the Availability Zone (AZ), Region, or even Public Cloud level, the data persistence layer needs to also be available at the destination site in order for the application to be recovered. This needs to be managed separately to the Kubernetes application, potentially increasing the risk when failing over in the event of a disaster.

Storing persistent data inside of the Kubernetes application itself solves both of these challenges, and delivers on one of the main benefits of microservices and Kubernetes: Deployment flexibility with reduced risk.

The Nutanix Data Services for Kubernetes (NDK) solution, released in March 2024, addresses these challenges for Kubernetes clusters running on the Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) software. Cloud Native AOS extends NDK to containerized workloads without requiring a hypervisor. It delivers Nutanix AOS Storage as a set of microservices running inside of Kubernetes, enabling data services to be integrated into applications themselves backed by a full-featured enterprise storage system.

Resilience, Mobility and Day 2 Operations

Cloud Native AOS enables disaster recovery and application mobility for cloud native workloads in a way that hyperscalers cannot. Managing data as part of a containerized application instead of storing it in an externally managed service allows the app and its associated data to be managed as a single entity. 

Disaster recovery is simplified with the added flexibility to replicate applications and their data across clouds, between on-premises locations, or even to multiple heterogeneous locations for added resiliency. 

Containerized workloads increasingly need to be deployed close to the user to minimize latency or dependency on internet connectivity, but deployment in the cloud or datacenter is often for developers. Many organizations prefer to deploy on-premises for potential  cost management reasons, but may need to burst into the cloud to handle spikes in demand.

Cloud Native AOS enables the flexibility to manage and protect workloads across a wide range of deployment options yet managed via a consistent operating model. This ease of operations empowers developers to programmatically define how storage is allocated, consumed, encrypted, backed up, and managed, optimizing their productivity and simplifying day 2 operations.

The Mature Nutanix AOS Stack to Kubernetes

Cloud Native AOS leverages the strengths of our mature Nutanix AOS architecture, uniquely enabled by our distributed storage system built entirely in user space. Replatforming this technology as microservices deployed in Kubernetes-managed containers delivers the core data management capabilities of Nutanix AOS Storage to Kubernetes applications. These capabilities include built-in resilience, encryption, high performance, QoS, app-centric snapshots and disaster recovery and more.

This integration of mature features into Kubernetes environments marks the next logical evolution of the Nutanix Cloud Platform solution, allowing businesses to continue their reliance on Nutanix for robust, scalable, and efficient cloud-native solutions.

Public Cloud, Edge, and On-prem Support

As of today's announcement, Nutanix CN-AOS support for AWS EKS environments will be generally available in Q2/Q3 of CY2025, providing benefits to customers leveraging Amazon's managed Kubernetes service. Support for bare-metal on-premises deployments is currently under development, which will also make this solution excellent for edge deployments.

“We warmly welcome Cloud Native AOS. Through participation in the Early Access Program, we are confident that Cloud Native AOS is a vital solution for modernizing complex IT infrastructures in the age of AI,” said Naoki Arakawa, Head of Technology Division at ICT Business Headquarters. “As an IT distributor with years of experience in selling Nutanix products in Japan, SB C&S Corp. will continue to support our partners and drive digital transformation for enterprises.”

Cloud Native AOS is a key milestone in our journey to deliver a single platform for all workloads, in your choice of environments. The ability to manage VMs and containers on a single unified platform helps businesses streamline operations and work towards reducing duplicative waste, and unlocking the potential to both invest in innovation and pay down technical debt. By integrating into one cohesive platform, Nutanix continues to empower businesses with the tools they need to innovate and thrive in a hybrid cloud world.

Additional Resources:

Nutanix Kubernetes Platform: Built to solve the toughest Kubernetes management challenges

¹- under development

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