Compare To Kubernetes

Overview

Kubernetes and Tensor9 are highly complementary, working together to enable scalable, reliable, and automated software deployments. Kubernetes is the industry standard for container orchestration, allowing applications to be deployed across cloud and on-prem infrastructure. Tensor9 enhances Kubernetes by automating managed service integration, streamlining form factor adaptation, and providing built-in observability, reducing the engineering effort required to deploy SaaS products into customer-controlled environments.

TL;DR

Kubernetes is a powerful orchestration platform, but adapting a cloud-native SaaS product to run in customer-controlled environments requires significant engineering effort. Tensor9 complements Kubernetes by automating the adaptation process, preserving supported managed services when possible, and replacing them when necessary. Additionally, Tensor9 adds continuous deployment, continuous observability, and support for managed services, which Kubernetes alone does not offer.

How Kubernetes and Tensor9 Work Together

Category	Kubernetes-Based Deployments	Kubernetes + Tensor9
Deployment Model	Customer manages Kubernetes clusters and deployments.	Vendors ship Kubernetes-based applications as Tensor9-managed packages that automatically adapt to AWS, Azure, GCP, or on-prem Kubernetes.
Data Control	Data stays within customer infrastructure, but with customer-managed access controls.	Same as Kubernetes, with added secure vendor observability through digital twins.
Managed Services Compatibility	Requires manual replacement depending upon the customer's environment, including credential management.	Tensor9 preserves supported managed services when possible or automates replacement (e.g., Lambda → containers) when necessary.
Service Conversion	Vendors must manually convert services like Lambda to containers for Kubernetes environments.	Tensor9 automates service conversion (e.g., Lambda → containers) when needed for on-prem Kubernetes.
Migration Cost	High engineering cost to support different form factors (cloud vs. on-prem).	Tensor9 enables cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-on-prem migrations without vendor-side rework.
Software Updates	Customers apply updates by redeploying containerized services.	Tensor9 automates vendor-controlled, customer-approved updates across form factors.
Observability	Customers must configure and manage their own monitoring and logging stack (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana).	Tensor9 provides built-in, secure observability via digital twins, ensuring logs and telemetry are vendor-accessible.
Support Model	Customer-managed with optional vendor support (via external tools).	Secure vendor support with customer-controlled, audit-logged remote access for troubleshooting.
Operational Complexity	Requires expertise in Kubernetes setup, scaling, and maintenance.	Tensor9 reduces operational burden with automated orchestration and simplified deployment workflows.

Why Kubernetes and Tensor9 Are Better Together

Seamless Form Factor Adaptation: Tensor9 ensures that SaaS products built for Kubernetes can run across cloud and hybrid environments without manual service replacement. Vendors can deliver software using Kubernetes without modifying their architecture for each customer.
Eliminating Engineering Overhead: Running Kubernetes in a customer-controlled environment often requires extensive rework, service conversion, and infrastructure modifications. Tensor9 automates these processes, eliminating the need for vendor-side engineering to support different Kubernetes environments.
Managed Service Preservation: Kubernetes does not natively integrate with cloud-managed services. Tensor9 preserves supported managed services when possible and automates their replacement when necessary (e.g., AWS Lambda → containers, S3 → MinIO) without vendor-side modifications.
Continuous Deployment and Observability: Kubernetes itself does not provide a built-in CI/CD pipeline or observability tools. Tensor9 adds vendor-controlled, customer-approved updates and secure observability via digital twins, ensuring smooth updates and monitoring across environments.
Security and Compliance Without Complexity: Kubernetes provides flexibility but requires customers to manage access controls, compliance policies, and security configurations. Tensor9 extends Kubernetes with built-in security, compliance enforcement, and controlled vendor observability.

Summary

Kubernetes is a powerful orchestration platform, and Tensor9 extends its capabilities by enabling automated service conversion, seamless multi-cloud deployments, and built-in observability. Together, Kubernetes and Tensor9 provide a complete solution for SaaS vendors looking to deliver software efficiently across diverse, customer-controlled environments—without the need for complex rework or additional engineering effort.