What is Kubermatic Developer Platform?

Profile

KDP (Kubermatic Developer Platform) is a new Kubermatic product in development, targeting the IDP (Internal Developer Platform) segment. It provides a central control plane for internal platforms, allowing organizations to register and consume services via an API backbone. KDP leverages kcp, a CNCF Sandbox project, to run lightweight "logical" clusters called Workspaces, organized in a tree hierarchy. This architecture enables platform users to self-manage permissions, delegate tasks, and mix and match APIs for customized service consumption. By exposing Kubernetes-style APIs, KDP integrates seamlessly with existing tooling like kubectl and ensures compatibility with cloud-native infrastructures.

Focus

KDP (Kubermatic Developer Platform) aligns with the principles of Platform Engineering, which aims to streamline IT infrastructure by reducing the burden of managing non-core components. As part of the IDP segment, KDP provides higher-level services that enable development teams to focus on building applications while adhering to company policies and governance structures. The platform supports seamless integration with Kubernetes APIs, offering a flexible and consistent environment for service management, customization, and scaling.

Background

Kubermatic originally developed the Kubermatic Developer Platform to streamline and simplify the development of cloud-native applications and Kubernetes-based infrastructure. Incubating kcp, the platform has evolved with contributions from Kubermatic’s internal team. It's in early stage, but to be open sourced. As a testament to its innovation and utility, the Kubermatic Developer Platform embodies the principles of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, supporting developers in building scalable, reliable, and efficient applications.

Kubermatic Developer Platform main features

KDP automates the process of service instance creation, reducing the time required to deploy new services from hours or days to mere seconds. This automation eliminates the need for manual intervention, reducing the risk of errors and improving overall efficiency.

KDP is highly customizable, allowing organizations to tailor the platform to fit their internal culture, policies, and governance structures. This flexibility ensures seamless integration into existing workflows, providing all users with a consistent and reliable experience.

KDP’s use of Kubernetes APIs ensures the platform integrates effortlessly with existing cloud-native infrastructures. This enables a consistent and reliable service management experience across all environments.

The platform's modularity allows service owners and platform teams to easily add new services, adapting to the organization's evolving needs. This flexibility is particularly valuable in fast-paced development environments, where the ability to deploy new services quickly offers a significant competitive advantage.