Unlocking OpenShift Potential with Telekom Srbija’s Team

Client Background

Telekom Srbija is a leading telecommunications provider in Serbia, offering a wide range of services, including mobile, fixed-line, and broadband. To maintain its competitive edge and support its digital transformation initiatives, Telekom Srbija adopted Red Hat OpenShift, a robust Kubernetes-based platform. However, the infrastructure team needed to enhance its skills to effectively manage and optimize this new platform.

Challenge

The infrastructure team at Telekom Srbija faced several challenges as they transitioned to using OpenShift:

• Lack of Containerization Knowledge: The team had limited experience with containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, which are crucial for effectively using OpenShift.
• Complex Platform Management: Managing OpenShift’s complex environment, including scaling, resource allocation, and security, was a challenge due to the team’s lack of experience with Kubernetes-based platforms.
• Inefficient Workflows: Without a deep understanding of OpenShift, the team struggled to optimize workflows and automate deployments, leading to slower deployment cycles and higher operational costs.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the upskilling initiative were:

1. Develop Foundational OpenShift Skills: Equip the infrastructure team with essential knowledge and practical skills in OpenShift and Kubernetes through the DO180 training course.
2. Streamline and Automate Processes: Enable the team to optimize and automate deployment processes within OpenShift to enhance operational efficiency.
3. Enhance Platform Management: Train the team to effectively manage and scale applications, optimize resource usage, and ensure robust security within the OpenShift environment.

Solution

To meet these objectives, a comprehensive upskilling program focused on the Red Hat OpenShift I: Containers & Kubernetes (DO180) training course was implemented:

1. DO180 Training Course:

• Core Concepts: The DO180 course provided a thorough introduction to containerization, Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift. The course covered critical topics such as creating and managing containers, deploying applications, and understanding the architecture of OpenShift.
• Practical Exercises: The training included hands-on labs, allowing team members to practice deploying and managing containers and applications in OpenShift. This practical experience was essential for building confidence and competence.
• Real-World Application: The course was tailored to reflect Telekom Srbija’s specific operational needs, ensuring that the skills learned could be directly applied to the company’s infrastructure management.

2. Post-Training Support and Continuous Learning:

• Knowledge Reinforcement Workshops: Following the DO180 course, additional workshops were held to reinforce learning, address specific challenges faced by the team, and dive deeper into advanced OpenShift features.
• Mentorship and Support: A mentorship program was established, pairing team members with experienced OpenShift professionals who provided guidance and support during the transition phase and beyond.

3. Process Optimization:

• CI/CD Pipeline Implementation: The training included setting up Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines within OpenShift, helping the team automate deployments and reduce manual errors.
• Resource and Security Management: The team learned best practices for optimizing resource usage, scaling applications, and implementing security measures within OpenShift, ensuring a more efficient and secure environment.

Results

The upskilling initiative led to significant improvements for Telekom Srbija’s infrastructure team:

• Enhanced Technical Proficiency: The team gained a solid understanding of OpenShift, Kubernetes, and containerization, enabling them to manage the platform more effectively and confidently.
• Increased Efficiency: By automating deployment processes and optimizing workflows, the team reduced deployment time by 40%, leading to faster rollouts of new features and services.
• Improved Platform Management: The team’s ability to scale applications, manage resources, and implement security measures within OpenShift improved overall platform performance and reliability.

Conclusion

The DO180 training program successfully upskilled the infrastructure team at Telekom Srbija, enabling them to harness the full potential of OpenShift. As a result, the team now operates more efficiently, with improved deployment processes, better resource management, and enhanced security. This case study highlights the critical role of targeted training in empowering IT teams to lead digital transformation efforts and optimize the use of advanced technologies like OpenShift.