Migrating From Docker Swarm To the Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)

Our migration project involved transitioning the client’s infrastructure from an on-premise setup with Docker Swarm to the Google Cloud Platform with Kubernetes.

One of the most challenging aspects was handling the databases. Due to custom plugins, our client was unable to utilize the CloudSQL service. Instead, we had to build a highly-available PostgreSQL Cluster using virtual machines in the cloud. This was achieved through the use of Google Cloud’s Managed Instance Group and the Patroni tool for cluster management.

To simplify the process of migrating applications to Kubernetes, we utilized Helm packages and created a centralized master Helm chart for each type of application. This streamlined the management process and provided a great deal of relief for our team.