How Aussie Broadband Achieved 99% Faster Cluster Provisioning with vCluster

3 Large Physical Kubernetes Clusters Supporting All Workloads

Before adopting vCluster, Aussie Broadband used a single-tenant Kubernetes model where the platform engineering team had full control over infrastructure and deployments. Access was limited, with developers needing to go through the platform team for code deployment or use traditional VM-based pipelines, making it difficult to scale and meet internal demand.

The static infrastructure meant the team often needed to manage multiple Kubernetes clusters manually, adding complexity and slowing down innovation. The process was resource-intensive, and operations were restricted by latency and throughput requirements in the ISP industry.

‍Challenges

• Limited infrastructure control for developers
• Manual deployments that slowed down development velocity
• Operating three large physical Kubernetes clusters with high OPEX costs
• Resource constraints when scaling multi-tenant environments

1 Physical Kubernetes Cluster for 100+ Virtual Clusters

After evaluating various multi-tenancy solutions, including using namespaces and Kamaji, Aussie Broadband adopted vCluster as the foundation for their Kubernetes architecture. Now, the platform team can run 50-100 virtual clusters on a single physical cluster, empowering developers with self-service deployments.

With vCluster’s quick provisioning, developers can spin up Kubernetes clusters in under 45 seconds, drastically improving deployment speeds and reducing reliance on the platform engineering team. Previously, each platform engineer handled 1-2 requests per week for infrastructure provisioning, but with vCluster’s self-service capabilities, this has now dropped to almost zero, saving 25-30 hours per week in manual intervention. This new approach reduced infrastructure complexity, lowered OPEX costs, and helped meet Aussie Broadband’s unique needs as an ISP provider focused on low-latency operations.

‍Advantages

• Self-service virtual clusters for developers
• Significant reduction in idle infrastructure and operational costs
• Faster cluster provisioning: 45 seconds vs. days before vCluster
• Isolation and enhanced security for multi-tenant environments

Empowering Developers with Self-Service Kubernetes at Scale

vCluster gave Aussie Broadband’s developers the autonomy to deploy their own Kubernetes clusters and services, speeding up development workflows. The support and collaboration with the vCluster team also ensured that any technical challenges were swiftly resolved, with full access to Slack Connect for direct communication.

The ability to isolate workloads and manage clusters across physical clusters in multiple data centers means Aussie Broadband is set for scalable growth, with further cost savings and efficiency improvements expected in the future.