Preface
OpenShift implements a polyglot platform for the deployment of web applications and services. It uses containers in conjunction with a Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) environment to implement a secure multitenant environment suitable for the enterprise. You can deploy OpenShift in your own infrastructure or on public clouds, or you can use OpenShift Online, Red Hat’s cloud-based hosting service.
The latest version of OpenShift uses the industry-standard Kubernetes platform from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) for managing and running applications within containers at scale. The ability to run any application image is ensured through adherence to image and runtime specifications from the Open Container Initiative (OCI).
OpenShift offers you the ability to easily deploy your web application code directly using a library of predefined image builders, or you can bring your own container images. With support in OpenShift for features such as persistent volumes, you are not limited to just running stateless 12-factor or cloud-native applications. Using OpenShift, you can also deploy databases and many legacy applications that you otherwise would not be able to run on a traditional Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering.
OpenShift is a complete container application platform. It is a modern take on the traditional PaaS that you can use with your existing applications, but that also provides the power and flexibility to meet future needs.