Containers are an amazing technology. They provide huge benefits and create useful constraints for distributing software. Golang-based software doesn’t need a container in the same way Ruby or Python would bundle the runtime and dependencies. For a statically compiled Go application, the container doesn’t need much beyond the binary.

In a world characterized by complex software and fast-paced development cycles, Internal Developer Portals have become increasingly vital. Unlike Internal Developer Platforms, which are more focused on the code-to-cloud deployment pipeline, an Internal Developer Portal acts as a centralized hub for a multitude of resources, tools, and APIs that developers require throughout the software development lifecycle.

Recently we announced the availability of a new version of Ocean for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). I decided to migrate some of our production services. While the service was already running on native AKS, we decided to leverage Spot’s Ocean for AKS to manage it more effectively, and, as they say, drink our own champagne. The outcome has been quite impressive. I managed to reduce our spending for this AKS cluster by a staggering 85%. You can see the results in the screen capture provided below.

Enter into the Internal Developer Platform (IDP) world, a game-changing solution that empowers development teams to streamline workflows, optimize resource management, and enhance productivity. This article is your comprehensive guide to building an Internal Developer Platform, demystifying its components, benefits, and best practices.

Picture this: You're knee-deep in the intricacies of a complex Kubernetes deployment, dealing with a web of services and resources that seem like a tangled ball of string. Visualization feels like an impossible dream, and understanding the interactions between resources? Well, that's another story. Meanwhile, your inbox is overflowing with alert emails, your Slack is buzzing with queries from the business side, and all you really want to do is figure out where the glitch is. Stressful? You bet!