Kubernetes: Lens 5.0 Delivers Cloud in 4k

Answering the question of 3 of the inevitable things on Planet Earth, one would say death, taxes, and the World Cup happening every four years. However, the third has come in for some skepticism after the ravaging pandemic in 2020 forced the postponement of another glorified football competition, European Championships 2020, albeit it is only of continental significance compared to the former, which commands global popularity. Now it is death, taxes, and the monthly introduction or innovation of an open source tool/software centered around the most popular and most-used container orchestrator in the world, Kubernetes.

Other orchestrators, e.g., OpenShift, AWS ECS, Docker, do get their fair bit of attention, but none has been more in the spotlight than the Google Cloud project since it was introduced by The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) in 2014. With projects like Kubesphere, Vcluster by Loft Labs, many questions and answers have emanated from Kubernetes over the years. With every new software providing more solutions, then even some more questions, it's an endless chain.

Another question-answering tool is the open source Lens 5.0 by Mirantis. It answers the question of teamwork and collaboration, accessing Kubernetes clusters without strain through unique operational means. Accessing clusters, tools, automation, pipelines, etc., is a click away with Lens Version 5.

This new version comes with a bag of new advancements that delivers functions that are not on the old versions.

The Lens Spaces is technically a platform for sharing cluster and resource access for collaboration and troubleshooting objectives, avoiding internet exposure with Cluster Connect encrypting the Kubernetes API. Cluster Connect accounts for connected clusters and reveals them through a secured proxy only available to users. Lens Spaces is free to use, albeit for now.

Lens 5.0 also features a significant change called Catalog. It is a UI component that replaces the workspace overview. It allows the grouping of clusters with related resources like tools, pipelines, automation, services in a searchable view for easier access. Teams in the same Space can also share Catalogs. The Catalog, according to Misha Kaipiainen, VP Engineering, is nowhere near a complete masterpiece. Therefore, users should brace for significant improvements in the coming months.

The Hotbar is also a debuting function. It gives users the ability to build workflows and automation within the desktop application. The hotbars support custom design, arrangements, and labeling. Items could also be configured to perform actions in a specific rhythm.