This document discusses how Mobiliar built a "speedboat harbor" using Docker to rapidly develop and deploy a new e-bike sharing project called smide. Docker was used to containerize the application and deploy it separately from Mobiliar's main systems. Key challenges included separate monitoring, logging, and deployment from Mobiliar's normal processes. Mobiliar's existing Kubernetes cluster was extended to separately deploy the smide containers and isolate them from other applications for increased agility during development.

1. welcome to bern
docker community
11th Docker Switzerland User Group Meetup

2. Wie die Mobiliar dank Docker
zum Schnellboothafen wurde.
How la Mobilière built a speedboat harbor
using Docker
Darius Ueltschi
Daniel Strohecker

3. Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Project overview
3. Docker
4. Challenges
5. IT Operations
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4. La Mobilière – short overview
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https://www.mobiliar.ch
AppServers
#2400
Applications
#190

5. Introducing smide
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6. Introducing smide
Aim of smide:
• e-bike sharing
• Fully managed e-bikes without permanent stations
• Offers an easy way of bridging the “last mile” gap in public transportation
=> Explore alternative solutions for mobility
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7. Speedboat – boon and bane
What is a speedboat for
• Leads out of the business potential of an idea or concept
• Doesn’t matter, if the speedboat turns into a submarine and never reaches
the surface
• Doing all this things, without disturbing the core business
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..to be
or
not to be….

8. Speedboat – boon and bane
Implementation
• Building a minimum viable product (MVP)
• Cost sensitive
• No constraints, no guidelines ... just functionality … only speed matters …
• Security??? WTH is security ...
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9. Results in an operations nightmare
• The MVP isn’t conform to any existing guidelines, standard operation platforms…
• Doesn’t fit to any strategy
• Can’t be or shouldn’t be run in the standard Mobiliar data center
Speedboat – boon and bane
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10. smide - involved stakeholders
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Mobiliar operation:
• Runs the containers
Business
development:
• Project owner
• Defines requirements
• Handles the partners
• Financial responsibility
External
development:
• Implements the requirements

11. smide - architecture overview
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12. ..and now, to come to the point…
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13. Docker
• Contractors create Docker images which can be easily shipped to the Mobiliar
• An dedicated Docker registry helps separate the containers from the internal and the external companies
• The helping hand of Kubernetes deploys any necessary certificates, configurations and the deployment files
• NFS is used to persist data from the containers.
• Backup and restore are provided by Mobiliar internal tools
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14. Challenges
• We have decided not to use the Mobiliar CI / CD chain (Teamcity, AMW) in the public access cluster at the moment
 A separate solution is a huge amount of work
• The customer ships images directly, instead of code. Configuration is delivered separately
 Manual deployment 
• Communication between business development, external partners and Mobiliar operations
 Find a channel and use it!
• One speedboat is working and the next is coming => Multi tenant?
 Security handled by Kubernetes with certificates
 Network separation could work by using Calico instead of Flannel (or Canal)
 But Docker?
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15. … under the hood
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16. Operations
• Die Mobiliar is using Kubernetes heavily for the whole agile build/deploy chain
• Separate Kubernetes cluster for
 Development
 Preproduction
 Production
• Need of a Kubernetes Test Lab cluster, testing new versions (Kubernetes, Docker, Etcd, Flannel, etc.)
• Extra Kubernetes public cluster (speedboats) for
 Preproduction
 Production
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17. Operations - Monitoring
• With Prometheus and Grafana you can have an optimal Kubernetes single cluster monitoring system.
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18. Operations - Logging
• Logfiles can be analyzed using Splunk which is implemented in the Mobiliar. Labels can be helpful!
 The external partners are using the Kubernetes way of obtaining them.
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19. Operations - Dashboard
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20. … and a final word …
Transform your IT operations from a tanker in to a container home!
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21. … were we end up
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22. Questions & comments
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http://smide.ch/
https://www.mobiliar.ch