November 2024 Summaries

Replicated has developed a comprehensive suite of tools to facilitate the distribution of enterprise software into air-gapped, self-hosted environments, providing seamless deployment experiences for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and their customers. The process involves integrating applications with the Replicated platform, where tools like the KOTS HelmChart custom resource in the vendor portal allow for the creation and management of air gap bundles. These bundles include necessary images and configurations, such as optional resources like Postgres, and are built by rendering Helm chart templates. End customers access these assets via the Replicated Download Portal and can choose to install them in an existing cluster or on a VM or bare metal server using the Replicated Embedded Cluster Installer. The process ensures images are pushed to an internal OCI registry and accessible through a proxy registry, enabling secure and efficient air gap installations.

Replicated's November 2024 release highlights include various updates across its platforms, such as the Oracle Kubernetes Engine (OKE) distribution moving from Alpha to Beta, enhancing compatibility testing for more vendors. The Compatibility Matrix UI now provides more real-time feedback on cluster modifications, and error handling in the CLI has been improved. For Embedded Cluster, the installation process is simplified with consolidated storage paths and a new flag for specifying data directories, alongside support for Kubernetes 1.30 and the introduction of several new preflight checks. Enhancements to the Vendor Portal include improved page speeds and new endpoints for image replication, while Product Documentation updates feature a comprehensive onboarding checklist, an updated quick start guide, and more detailed air gap installation procedures. These changes aim to streamline processes for vendors and improve user experience across the Replicated platform.