IBM United Kingdom Ltd

IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service

IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service is a managed offering to create your own Kubernetes cluster of compute hosts to deploy and manage containerized apps on IBM Cloud. Built-in security and isolation, advanced tools to secure, manage, and monitor your cluster workloads, you can rapidly deliver highly available and secure containerized apps.

Features

• Single-tenant Kubernetes clusters with compute, network, and storage isolation
• Integrated Vulnerability advisor
• Encryption in secret and private registry
• Tunable capacity with isolation for worker nodes, High Available masters
• Secure intergation to IBM Cloud services (leverage IBM Watson)
• CLI/API ensuring portability, consistency & integrating with CI/CD Tooling
• Continuous monitoring, logging, scheduling, self-healing, scaling, service discovery
• Choice of container platform Red Hat OpenShift or community Kubernetes
• Add-on capabilities - Istio. Tekton. Knative
• Multizone clusters to increase high availability

Benefits

• Customer can ensure a secure container environment - isolate compute
• Security insight to images and live containers
• Security of key value pairs and persistent data
• Customize connectivity and storage to meet requirements
• Choose size and quantity of worker nodes in their cluster
• Leverage cognitive capabilities from IBM Cloud catalog
• Ensure portability and consistent user experience across clouds
• IBM manage Master
• Customer can bring their own tools for consistency
• Native Kubernetes capabilities

£0.09 an instance an hour

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at ukcat@uk.ibm.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

694012453593135

Contact

Anne-Marie Wheeler
0207 202 3000
ukcat@uk.ibm.com

Service scope

• Service constraints: NA
• System requirements: Integrated to IBM Cloud

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Within 24 hours
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AAA
• Web chat accessibility testing: Visit https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/overview/accessibility?topic=overview-accessibility-platform#accessibility-features-for-ibm-cloud for more information of accessibility
• Onsite support: No
• Support levels: IBM provides free basic level support protection included with an IBM Cloud subscription or pay-as-you-go account. Advanced support is recommended for environments with a limited number of business-critical applications. Premium Support is for mission-critical environments that have a strategic dependency on IBM Cloud; IBM provides a dedicated Technical Account Manager with this support tier. The support policies for Platform and Infrastructure Services are available in the IBM Cloud UI and provide details of available support options, as well as information on access, support business hours, severity classification, and support resources and limitations. IBM uses commercially reasonable efforts to respond to support requests; however, there is no specified response time objective for basic level support. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, support is available only to Client (and its authorized users) and not to any end users of Client’s solutions. Client is solely responsible for providing all customer support and services to its end users. An online support forum is available at no charge at https://www.ibm.com/mysupport/s/forumshome or join the IBM’ development community at https://developer.ibm.com/community/. Both monitored by IBM developers and employees.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We provide comprehensive online documentation (available through the IBM Cloud Dashboard), tutorials, free online training course and hundreds of tutorials and articles available on our developerWorks portal.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: HTML
• End-of-contract data extraction: IBM will return the Client Data within a reasonable period in a reasonable and common format upon receiving written instructions from the Client prior to termination or expiration.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract services continue to run but the user will be prompted to add a new payment method (pay-as-you-go) or sign a new contract. You will be billed the amount of services you are running until you decommission it.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: Fully manage deployments via CLI or IBM Cloud Dashboard to cluster creation and management.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: IBM Cloud includes the following major accessibility features: Keyboard-only operation and operations that use a screen reader (for more information visit https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/overview/accessibility?topic=overview-accessibility-platform#accessibility-features-for-ibm-cloud )
• Web interface accessibility testing: N/A
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/containers?topic=containers-cs_cli_install; ; Customer can drive automation using consistent Kubernetes API to integrate with their existing CI/CD pipelines. See https://cloud.ibm.com/apidocs
• API automation tools:
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • Terraform
  • Puppet
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
• Using the command line interface: CLI and IBM Cloud Dashboard are consistent for deployment and management. All Kubernetes interactions e.g. kubectl are done via the command line; https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/containers?topic=containers-cs_cli_install#cs_cli_install_steps

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type: Automatic
• Independence of resources: The architecture of IBM cloud services maintains logical separation of client data. Internal rules and measures separate data processing, such as inserting, modifying, deleting, and transferring data, according to the contracted purposes.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting: Other

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Memory
  • Network
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Backup and recovery

• Backup and recovery: Yes
• What’s backed up:
  • The etcd database for Kubernetes
  • Persistent data in volumes can be backed up
• Backup controls: Tools are provided as part of the offering for our users.
• Datacentre setup: Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
• Scheduling backups: Users schedule backups through a web interface
• Backup recovery: Users can recover backups themselves, for example through a web interface

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: IBM will encrypt content not intended for public or unauthenticated viewing when transferring content over public networks. Further, unless excluded by a TD, IBM will enable use of a cryptographic protocol, such as HTTPS, SFTP, and FTPS, for Client’s secure transfer of content to and from the Cloud Service over public networks.
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: IBM provides service level agreements (SLAs) for IBM Cloud services. Service levels based on downtime do not include time related to exclusions, UI unavailability, or time to reload, configure, enable, or access content or include other services indirectly affected by an outage (Downtime). SLAs are available only if Client is compliant with the Agreement terms and do not apply to any third party including Client’s end users. SLAs do not apply to beta, experimental, trial, or no-charge Cloud Services. SLAs are not a warranty and are Client’s exclusive remedy for IBM’s failure to meet a specified service level. IBM will validate SLA claims based upon information provided and IBM system records. IBM provides a 99.95% availability SLA for Platform Services: i) configured for high availability and distributed across multiple IBM Cloud public regions; or ii) provisioned across multiple dedicated or local environments in geographically separated data-centers. In addition, IBM provides a 99.9% availability service level for multiple instances of a Platform Service provisioned within a single dedicated or local environment.
• Approach to resilience: Available on request.
• Outage reporting: From time to time, events occur in the IBM Cloud that require IBM Cloud to take action. Sometimes these events are unexpected and sometimes there are planned maintenance activities required to keep the Cloud operating at its peak condition. While IBM Cloud makes every effort to isolate our customers from these events, sometimes it becomes necessary to take certain equipment off-line. Regardless of the impact to our customers, it is always necessary to be transparent, timely and informative. We believe it is best to put our customers in control of their Cloud experience, and so our policy is to push information to our customers that explicitly subscribe to this process on the customer Portal. Therefore it is important that our customers understand how to make notifications work for them.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: IBM maintains individual role-based authorization of privileged accounts that is subject to regular validation. A privileged account is a duly authorized IBM user identity with administrative access to a Cloud Service, including associated infrastructure, networks, systems, applications, databases and file systems.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Devices users manage the service through:
  • Dedicated device over multiple services or networks
  • Any device but through a bastion host (a bastion host is a server that provides access to a private network from an external network such as the internet)
  • Directly from any device which may also be used for normal business (for example web browsing or viewing external email)

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BVCH SAS UK Branch
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 19/12/2018
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: For further information, please see the compliance documentation on the IBM website
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: Yes
• CSA STAR accreditation date: 16/10/2017
• CSA STAR certification level: Level 1: CSA STAR Self-Assessment
• What the CSA STAR doesn’t cover: The infrastructure that the service is run on has a CSA STAR Self-Assessment certificate. The IBM CSA Star Self-Assessment can be viewed here https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star-registrant/ibm-cloud/
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: Weaver and Tidwell, L.L.P.
• PCI DSS accreditation date: 29/10/2021
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: We have PCI-DSS accreditation for Payment Card Industry - as Service Provider.
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • https://www.ibm.com/uk-en/cloud/compliance
  • https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/overview?topic=overview-security#platform-security

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: IBM has an Information Technology (IT) Security policy that establishes the requirements for the protection of IBM's worldwide IT systems and the information assets they contain, including networks and computing devices such as servers, workstations, host computers, application programs, web services, and telephone systems within the IBM infrastructure. IBM’s IT Security policy is supplemented by standards and guidelines, such as the Security Standards for IBM's Infrastructure, the Security and Use Standards for IBM Employees and the Security Guidelines for Outsourced Business Services. Such are reviewed by a cross-company team led by the IT Risk organization every six months.; ; IBM has a dedicated Vice President of IT Security who leads a team responsible for IBM's own enterprise data security standards and practices. Responsibility and accountability for executing internal security programs is established through formal documented policies. IBM Services teams also have dedicated executives and teams who are responsible for information and physical security in the delivery of our client services.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: IBM maintains policies and procedures to manage risks associated with the application of changes to its Cloud Services. Prior to implementation, all changes to a Cloud Service, including its systems, networks and underlying components, will be documented in a registered change request that includes a description and reason for the change, implementation details and schedule, a risk statement addressing impact to the Cloud Service and its clients, expected outcome, rollback plan, and documented approval by IBM management or its authorized delegate.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: With each Cloud Service, as applicable and commercially reasonable, IBM will a) perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessments before production release and routinely thereafter, b) enlist a qualified and reputable independent third-party to perform penetration testing and ethical hacking at least annually, c) perform automated management and routine verification of underlying components’ compliance with security configuration requirements, and d) remediate any identified vulnerability or noncompliance with its security configuration requirements based on associated risk, exploitability, and impact. IBM takes reasonable care to avoid Cloud Service disruption when performing its tests, assessments, scans, and execution of remediation activities.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: IBM maintains and follows policies requiring administrative access and activity in its Cloud Services’ computing environments to be logged and monitored, and the logs to be archived and retained in compliance with IBM’s worldwide records management plan. IBM monitors privileged account use and maintain security information and event management policies and measures designed to a) identify unauthorized administrative access and activity, b) facilitate a timely and appropriate response, and c) enable internal and independent third party audits of compliance with such policies. IBM systematically monitors the health and availability of production Cloud Service systems and infrastructure at all times.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: IBM: 1)Maintains and follows incident response policies aligned with NIST guidelines for computer security incident handling, and will comply with data breach notification requirements under applicable law. 2)Investigates security incidents, including unauthorised access or use of content or the Cloud Service, of which IBM becomes aware, and, if warranted, define and execute an appropriate response plan. 3)Promptly notifies Client upon determining that a security incident known or reasonably suspected by IBM to affect Client has occurred. 4)Provides Client with reasonably requested information about such security incident and status of applicable remediation and restoration activities performed or directed by IBM.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Separation between users

• Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart: Yes
• Who implements virtualisation: Supplier
• Virtualisation technologies used: Citrix XenServer
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Each user creates their own cluster that use single tenant worker nodes. User can choose shared resources where the node is on shared hypervisor and hardware or dedicated resources where the node is single tenant for hypervisor and hardware. Master nodes are single tenant and encrypted per organization/user.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Read all about it here : https://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/climate/datacenter_energy.shtml

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  In February 2021, IBM committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2030. On this path, IBM are on track to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 65% (against 2010 base) in 2025, and 75% of our global electricity consumption will be from renewables by 2025. The IBM UK Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) is published annually in which we report progress in achieving Net Zero. In fulfilling our responsibilities under our contracts, our staff operate in line with our IBM Environmental Policy and implemented through our worldwide Environmental Management System (EMS), which covers objectives including achieving our net zero greenhouse gas commitment, reduction in water use, reduction in waste going to landfill, creating green space, enhancing the natural environment and improving air quality. Local initiatives are in place around IBM locations, including on shared or zero-carbon travel, with various cycle-to-work and car-share initiatives and incentives, and through environmentally focused volunteering. To influence staff, suppliers, customers and communities through the delivery of the contract to support environmental protection and improvement, we include Social Responsibility and Environmental Management requirements in subcontracts, and encourage staff to work with the wider teams on improvements. In some locations, a ‘Environmental Business Resource Group’ promotes sustainability and plans community-based volunteer work. In 2020 IBM launched the responsible.computing() initiative, which addresses modern computing challenges and integrates aspects of sustainability, climate, ethics, openness, privacy and security. We assess proposed technical solutions against efficient energy usage. IBM began detailed tracking and monitoring of our environmental footprint in 1990 - being forthright and transparent in our impact long before it was fashionable or required. We have made significant improvements over the last 30 years and will continue to always report transparently on impacts and our progress.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  To help local communities manage and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 IBM have created employment and re-training opportunities. IBM provide a free, fully online offering called SkillsBuild Reignite, tailored for job seekers, and those needing to grow their digital skills. Once an initial 30-hours of online learning is completed, Reignite offers free one-on-one coaching, seminars and facilitated discussions from IBM volunteers. IBM encourage our staff, suppliers and customers to support our communities. The IBM.org Volunteer’s Portal manages over 1.3 million hours of volunteering by IBM employees. We support our extensive ecosystem of external SME's manage and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. IBM has invested to help reduce barriers to entry that may preclude participation in delivery by SMEs. This could relate to financial standing, ability to accept risk, invest in bids, or ability to supply sufficient volumes of resources. We have several initiatives to support staff with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and extend those initiatives to the clients we partner with. Mental health support is available at all times to all of our staff and their families, and we train volunteering staff as mental health first aiders. We have many programmes in place to tailor a gradual return to health and work following illness. IBM reimagined many of our workplaces and policies to support COVID-19 recovery and are committed to ongoing safe working to reduce demand on health and care services. We have also implemented our Work from Home Pledge & Hybrid Working Pledge for all staff, which ensures we establish and respect new boundaries and support each other in this new way of working and living. We published our ‘Return to Workplace Playbook’ to manage the safe return to both IBM and client workplaces. IBM is promoting an ongoing Hybrid working approach.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  IBM invest to understand of the causes and effects of inequality. We run multiple initiatives to attempt to level opportunity, focused on our stated social-responsibility goal to support education and skills development in Science and Technology, with a specific focus on those who may not otherwise be attracted, or have the opportunity, to develop those skills. The ‘IBM Ignite’ scheme, a national Movement to Work programme, offers vocational traineeships and work experience to disadvantaged youth unemployed. Together with City Gateway, our London charity partner, IBM offer 5-week, onsite, workplace programmes to break the cycle of ‘no work experience, no job’. IBM are proud to have created skillsbuild.org. This is a global programme, and for the UK offering IBM have partnered with ACH.org.uk, a social enterprise working to resettle refugees through labour market and social integration, City Gateway, a London charity working with disadvantaged young people, women and families in deprived areas to build skills and ambition, and SaluteMyJob, a charity creating opportunities for ex-Servicemen and women under the armed forces covenant. The SkillsBuild programmes offer training, in-person support, credentials and opportunities to put the learning into practice. In addition to the direct training through charity partners, SkillsBuild Reignite is now also available free to all online. The SkillsBuild training gives recognised qualifications to those searching for employment in a digital economy. In addition, the programme gives job-search skills, teaches agile methods and design thinking, and has specific training in growing IT fields, such as cybersecurity, big data, artificial intelligence. IBM UK employ over 250 school-leaver apprentices every year. Our award-winning programme offers apprenticeships ranging from Level 3 to Level 6, with more than half of the apprentices applying and continuing their employment with IBM.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  In 1942, IBM hired blind psychologist Michael Supa to create a programme for hiring and training people with disabilities. Supa then worked in IBM institutionalising disability representation and equality for 37 years, and 80 years after he was hired IBM continue to lead in Accessibility, Inclusive hiring and Representation to reduce the disability employment gap. The Accessible Workplace Connection portal makes it easy for managers to accommodate IBMers who consider themselves to have disabilities, and all recruitment activities are accessible and open. IBM support all employees in training and developing new skills relevant to them, with at least 40 hours of structured training required every year. The training can link to recognised, external qualifications, building skills relevant to the contract. IBM is accommodating of those with additional needs, ensuring all training is inclusive. IBM believes that a diverse and inclusive work environment drives higher quality delivery. We have created employment and training opportunities for those with protected characteristics in the UK since 1912. Our 300+ employee-led communities support ethnic minorities, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+, females, veterans and more through regular events within their communities. Every IBMer completes regular mandatory Diversity & Inclusion training, and 88.3% of colleagues said that they felt that they could be their authentic selves in work. IBM run a “BeEqual” campaign and programmes, with tens of thousands of employees making a BeEqual pledge of allyship to colleagues from minority groups and 6000 IBMers globally are certified as LGBT+ Allies. In 2020, 250+ IBM employees completed apprenticeships within the UK with 42% identifying as BAME and 58% as female (supporting our Women in Technology initiatives). IBM have a culture of promotion and recruitment aiming to addresses workforce inequality for all to have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  IBM has an advanced Health and Wellbeing Programme, recognising the criticality and benefits of a healthy and supported workforce. A wide-ranging Employee Assistance Program is provided confidentially to all employees 24/7, at no cost to them, backed up by medical insurance with annual health assessments available. IBM operate a Mental Health First Aid Programme, with over 200 qualified mental health first-aiders volunteering in the UK. These colleagues make themselves approachable as a first step. IBM UK have Disability Confident status, winning in 2021 the Best Employer for Diversity and Inclusion award from WM UK, due to the broad focus on D&I throughout the pandemic, including hidden disabilities and neurodiversity. IBM has a global neurodiversity hiring program (ND@IBM). In the new model of home and hybrid working since 2020, various initiatives have been created to maintain and improve both mental and physical health when working remotely. The IBM Working from Home Pledge includes commitments to take time out for yourself, and to check-in regularly on colleagues. It was recognised that working alone can be challenging for some, and regular sessions, support programmes and training is now in place to keep people connected. Managers have undertaken training to recognise those struggling and have tools of early support. A “2020 health challenge” was taken up by 20% of the permanent employee population, with 69% of participants reported being less stressed, 74% exceeded 10,000 steps a day. Ergonomic equipment to create a better working-from-home environment is available to all. Within projects and programmes, and as part of contract delivery, IBM seek to make these various initiatives available to the entire, joint team of staff, suppliers, customers and communities. Project and colleague-based support and health initiatives are expanded where possible to all.

Pricing

• Price: £0.09 an instance an hour
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: You can have 1 free cluster at a time, each free cluster expires in 30 days. ; Select capabilities:; Minimal 2x4 compute resources; Select single zone locations; Only the Kubernetes container platform and Classic infrastructure. Ideal for testing out Kubernetes deployments and getting familiar with the IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service.
• Link to free trial: https://cloud.ibm.com/kubernetes/catalog/create

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at ukcat@uk.ibm.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.