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Published Sep 3, 2019

SE-Radio Episode 319: Nicole Hubbard on Migrating from VMs to Kubernetes

Nicole Hubbard from WP Engine delves into the transformative process of migrating from virtual machines to Kubernetes, discussing scalability, cost benefits, and the strategic planning required for a seamless transition in global application management.
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  • Seamless Transitioning

    Ensuring a seamless transition from virtual machines to Kubernetes is crucial for WP Engine. explains that during the migration, both infrastructures run simultaneously for a brief period to ensure no impact on customers. This dual operation allows for a rollback if any issues arise, maintaining service continuity 1. The migration focuses on moving PHP processing to Kubernetes, utilizing PHP FPM with a Go wrapper, which offers better security and resource management compared to Apache 2.

    We spin up the infrastructure in Kubernetes to do the PHP processing for that set of installs and then once that's running we reconfigure those sites to then process there and it's completely transparent.

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    This approach ensures that the migration is transparent to users, with no noticeable changes in their service experience.

       

    Validation Process

    The validation process is a critical step in WP Engine's migration to Kubernetes. outlines a two-step validation process that occurs before and after the migration to ensure the site functions correctly 3. Automated scripts, developed in Python, facilitate this process by checking the homepage for errors and ensuring consistent performance post-migration. Additionally, the use of multiple cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud ensures regional availability, addressing global application challenges 4.

    We wrote automated scripts around it and those provide the ability for us to move an entire virtual machine with a simple command.

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    This meticulous validation ensures that any potential issues are identified and resolved promptly, minimizing disruption.

       

    Risk Management

    Risk management is a pivotal aspect of WP Engine's migration strategy. describes a phased approach, starting with low-risk personal plans before gradually migrating larger business and enterprise customers 5. This strategy minimizes risk by allowing the team to identify and address issues early in the process. Additionally, internal accounts are used for initial testing to catch potential problems before affecting real customers 6.

    We like to validate things with internal accounts before we ever put customers on them to ensure that we've caught the vast majority of any problems.

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    This careful planning and testing ensure a smooth transition with minimal risk to customer operations.

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