Service Specification Managed Kubernetes

This English version is provided for convenience only. The German version is legally binding; in the event of any discrepancy between the two versions, the German version shall prevail.

1. Brief description

centron Managed Kubernetes provides a managed Kubernetes platform based on a fully operated control plane and on scalable worker nodes.

The service enables the deployment, management and scaling of containerised applications. The underlying infrastructure is based on the ccloud³ Compute Engine and is supplemented by a Kubernetes orchestration layer.

Clusters are created and managed by the Customer via the centron portal and via APIs. centron is responsible for operating the control plane and central platform functions, while the Customer is responsible for the use and configuration of the workloads.

2. Key features

centron Managed Kubernetes provides a fully managed Kubernetes control plane that is operated and maintained by centron.

The platform enables the creation of Kubernetes clusters with flexible worker node groups (“Node Pools”). Several Node Pools with different configurations can be operated within one cluster, which makes it possible to cater for different workload requirements.

The worker nodes are based on virtual machines of the ccloud³ Compute Engine and can be operated in various performance classes.

A Kubernetes cluster must contain at least one Node Pool in order to be able to operate basic system components. For production environments, it is recommended to use several nodes to ensure high availability.

The platform supports the automatic scaling of Node Pools and the dynamic adjustment of the cluster size to the respective load.

The size and number of the nodes determine the available computing power, the memory and the number of workloads that can be run within a cluster.

3. Service plans

centron Managed Kubernetes is provided as a uniform service without separate tariff levels.

The service is configured via the configuration of the Kubernetes cluster, in particular through:

• selection and size of the worker nodes
• number of nodes within a Node Pool
• number and configuration of the Node Pools

The worker nodes are based on the available instance types and can be dimensioned differently depending on the use case.

Node Pools can combine different instance types, which makes it possible to implement various performance profiles within one cluster.

The actual performance of the cluster results from the combination of the selected node sizes and the number of nodes.

4. Metrics

Billing is based on the infrastructure resources used.

In particular, the following are billed:

• worker nodes (virtual machines)
• storage and network resources used
• high availability of the control plane

The control plane is provided as part of Managed Kubernetes and, as a rule, is not billed separately on a usage basis unless otherwise agreed.

Billing is usage-based according to the running time and size of the resources deployed.

5. SLA specifics

No separate service level agreements beyond those of the underlying infrastructure are agreed for centron Managed Kubernetes.

The availability of the worker nodes is governed by the SLA provisions of the ccloud³ Compute Engine.

The Kubernetes control plane provided by centron constitutes an operational service for which no additional SLA commitments beyond the infrastructure are made.

6. Backup

Backup and recovery functions are not part of the Managed Kubernetes service.

The backup of data, in particular:

• persistent volumes
• cluster configurations
• application data

is entirely the responsibility of the Customer.

The Customer is obliged to implement suitable backup and recovery strategies and to review them regularly.

7. Additional terms

centron Managed Kubernetes constitutes a platform for the orchestration of container workloads. The Customer is fully responsible for the deployment, configuration and operation of its applications within the cluster.

This responsibility includes, in particular, the management of containers, deployments, services, network configurations and access controls.

The control plane operated by centron comprises central Kubernetes components, the operation, maintenance and updating of which are carried out by the Provider. Changes to the control plane by the Customer are not envisaged.

The Customer is responsible for selecting suitable node sizes and cluster architectures. Insufficient dimensioning may lead to performance losses or restricted availability.

The use of automatic scaling and redundancy mechanisms lies within the Customer’s area of responsibility and is decisive for the high availability of the applications operated.

centron accepts no responsibility for misconfigurations within the Kubernetes cluster or for any resulting effects on applications, security or availability.