Most Kubernetes consulting engagements treat Kubernetes as a generic compute platform. The reality is that production Kubernetes is hard for specific reasons: multi-tenancy, observability, identity, networking, storage choice, GitOps discipline, and the operational practices that keep a cluster reliable at scale. Generic consulting that doesn’t address these specifics produces a cluster that “works” but doesn’t operate well.
Ænix created Cozystack and co-maintains it — an open-source CNCF project and multi-tenant Kubernetes-native platform with deployments across hosting, regulated finance, telecom, AI and academia (see the case studies). Our Kubernetes consulting engagements bring the same engineers into your team.
Pairs with: any of the three Ænix platforms once scope expands into a productized cloud platform. Stand-alone consulting is available without one.
Who needs Kubernetes consulting
The engagement fits when:
- Existing Kubernetes is operational but problematic — drift, fragmentation, unclear ownership.
- Multi-tenancy is required — service-provider model, hard BU separation, regulated isolation.
- Specific architectural decision — distribution choice, storage choice, networking choice, GitOps adoption.
- Migration in progress — from VMware, OpenStack, or another orchestrator to Kubernetes.
- Production-readiness review before going GA.
If three or more apply, structured consulting compounds quickly. Otherwise, in-house capability is more cost-effective.
What we cover
1. Architecture review Distribution choice (vanilla / Cozystack / OpenShift / vendor), CNI choice, storage, identity, observability, GitOps engine. Decisions documented with named trade-offs.
2. Multi-tenancy design Tenant CRD model, namespace strategy, RBAC, resource quotas, network isolation, cluster vs namespace per tenant. Production patterns.
3. Operational practices Cluster lifecycle (upgrades, scaling, recovery), backup and DR (Velero), observability stack, incident response, capacity planning.
4. Production-readiness checklist Security posture (Pod Security Standards, network policies, secrets management), compliance posture (audit logging, certifications), operational posture (runbooks, on-call, SLOs).
Common Kubernetes deployment failures
Distribution selected by familiarity, not fit “We’re an OpenShift shop” — even when OpenShift adds complexity for a multi-tenant cloud use case where Cozystack would fit better. Distribution choice is structural.
Multi-tenancy bolted on, not designed in Cluster started as single-team; multi-tenancy added later via namespaces and convention. Falls over at scale or under regulator audit.
Observability uninvested Prometheus deployed without retention plans, Grafana dashboards copied from blog posts. Falls over at production scale.
No platform-team ownership Multiple teams contribute changes without coordination. Drift accumulates. Upgrades become emergencies.
How Ænix engages
- Architecture review (5-10 days) — focused engagement, written deliverable, target architecture.
- Implementation engagement (1-6 months) — Ænix engineers integrated with your team, building cluster foundation, multi-tenancy, observability, runbooks.
- Managed Kubernetes engagement — for organizations needing the platform but not operating capacity.
For the full version, see the Platform Readiness Assessment (14 or 28 days).
Why Ænix specifically
- We sell no licensed distribution. That is the whole reason to ask us which one you should run. A consultancy with an OpenShift or a Tanzu practice has an answer before the question.
- We created one. Ænix created Cozystack and co-maintains it, with deployments across hosting, regulated finance, telecom, AI and academia — see the case studies. The multi-tenancy and storage recommendations come from operating it, not from reading about it.
| When | What | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | 30-min discovery call (free) | Confirm fit |
| Phase 1: Architecture review (5-10 days) | Focused review | Written review, target architecture |
| Phase 2: Implementation (1-6 months) | Integrated with your team | Production-ready cluster, runbooks, knowledge transfer |
Companies running platforms built with Ænix
Hosting providers running Ænix Public Cloud Platform in production
"Running Nuvolos on sovereign bare metal meant we needed hyperscaler-grade multi-tenancy without the hyperscaler. Cozystack delivered exactly that — isolated tenants, shared GPUs, KubeVirt for legacy workloads — and it's why we can promise our customers infrastructure control, not just a workspace."
Alexandru PopescuCEO, Nuvolos
The architecture review is fixed-price; implementation is time-and-materials or fixed-scope depending on how clear the scope is at signature. Both quoted after the discovery call.
Start with a 30-minute discovery call
- Production cluster setup guide
- Platform engineering services — broader scope
- Cozystack — open-source platform foundation
Ænix created Cozystack and co-maintains it — a CNCF project and CNCF Certified Kubernetes distribution with the OpenSSF Best Practices badge.