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SUSE has launched the fourth version of its Containers-as-a-Service platform. This version includes a number of new features that were built from user feedback. The version replaces the previous MicroOS-version.

MicroOS ran on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Unlike MicroOS, the new version is installed with the unified installer of SUSE. Version 4 runs as an add-on on top of SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP1. SUSE reports that the new version is a response to the desire of users to be able to perform implementations and management with the standard SUSE tools. The company also states that transactional updates will be possible at a later stage. These are updates that are carried out while the system continues to run. It is also possible to reverse the updates in case of errors.

In the latest version, Terraform templates are also available for automating cluster configuration on private cloud platforms. This functionality will eventually follow for the public cloud as well. The new version will further increase the maximum size of clusters. Initially, the platform was tested with 250 nodes per cluster. However, SUSE expects that this will be possible with a larger number of nodes for the implementation in public clouds. The latest version also works better with Kubernetes, as SUSE indicates it wants to roll out a new update within 90 days after each new K8s version.

Improved security

In addition, improvements in terms of security have been announced. In the announcement, SUSE stated that “one of the considerations that can slow adoption of microservices based application architectures is identical to one that slowed adoption of virtualized infrastructure over a decade ago: concerns about the security of the new technology.”

This has led to the launch of Cilium, which, according to SUSE, enables “network security enforcement” . Cilium is an open source project that makes the microservice layer visible. SUSE states that Cilium can be compared to Open vSwitch, but for containers. “[Cilium brings] complex and context-based network topologies to the world of containers, just as Open vSwitch did to the world of virtualized infrastructure.”