Long before Kubernetes, DevOps teams used configuration practices and policies to ensure successful and secure deployments. While K8s' declarative configuration model and built-in validation mechanisms were intended to streamline these processes, the distributed nature of K8s has led to new challenges. Traditional configuration practices and policies are no longer efficient, resulting in an inability to bridge the gap between developers and Ops.

Ensuring that configurations and policies are properly managed and consistent with the intended behavior of a cluster is a challenging task. Add to that the lack of standardization in large organizations with multiple projects, dynamic deployments, and the difficulty of balancing policy enforcement with developer flexibility to innovate, and most platform engineers face a major challenge.

This talk will discuss how creating guardrails for developers through modern configuration practices and policy enforcement can solve these issues ultimately helping teams adhere to established standards, security practices, and compliance requirements throughout the CI/CD pipeline while fostering collaboration between Devs and Ops once and for all.

Benefits to the Ecosystem

This session offers attendees a comprehensive understanding of the challenges teams face when employing configuration practices and policy enforcement in Kubernetes while providing insight and practical strategies for tackling these obstacles using cloud-native solutions.

Platform engineers and DevOps practitioners will be better equipped to help their teams
navigate the complexities of Kubernetes configurations and policy enforcement resulting in higher quality, secure deployments, and faster time to market by establishing a common language among Devs and Ops to empower individuals and increase collaboration among teams.

By sharing various tools, strategies, and real-world examples, this session aims to foster a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement within the Kubernetes community