Kubernetes and platform engineering
Design, improve, and operate Kubernetes and EKS platforms with reliable deployment workflows, GitOps, observability, and practical team ownership.
Kubernetes platform
Standardizing Kubernetes delivery across a growing AWS platform
Kubernetes delivery and platform operations were standardized across AWS environments using infrastructure automation, GitOps, CI/CD, observability, and operational handover patterns.
Context
Environment and why the work mattered
AWS and Amazon EKS platform environment
Kubernetes delivery and platform operations were standardized across AWS environments using infrastructure automation, GitOps, CI/CD, observability, and operational handover patterns.
Architecture summary
Delivery platform flow
A safe public abstraction of the delivery path without exposing topology.
- Repository workflow
- GitHub Actions
- Helm packaging
- Argo CD sync
- Kubernetes rollout
- Observability review
Challenge
Problems and risks addressed
- Deployment and platform practices needed more consistency across environments.
- Kubernetes operations had to support delivery without making every team a cluster operator.
- Observability, runner capacity, and deployment paths needed practical operational ownership.
- Existing environments and teams could not stop delivery while platform improvements were introduced.
Constraints
Delivery constraints and judgment calls
- The work involved live infrastructure and multiple AWS environments or accounts.
- Internal names, topology, and security controls cannot be published.
- Platform changes needed to remain understandable for teams responsible for ongoing operation.
- Measurable percentage improvements are not published because they are not verified for this public summary.
Responsibilities
Nico Smuts's role
Related to Lead DevOps Engineer and platform work.
- Worked with AWS, Amazon EKS, Kubernetes, Terraform, Helm, Argo CD, and GitHub Actions delivery paths.
- Supported self-hosted Kubernetes runners, Karpenter capacity patterns, and platform standardization.
- Improved observability practices using Prometheus, Grafana, and Loki.
- Documented and reviewed platform changes so delivery and operations could be repeated.
Approach
Technical and operational approach
- Standardized deployment paths around Helm, GitOps, and CI/CD workflows where they fit the environment.
- Improved infrastructure repeatability using Terraform and documented platform patterns.
- Used observability foundations to make operational state easier to inspect.
- Separated reusable platform practices from environment-specific implementation details.
Deliverables
Tangible outputs
- Platform standards
- Terraform and infrastructure changes
- Helm and GitOps delivery patterns
- CI/CD workflow improvements
- Observability foundations
- Runbooks and handover documentation
Outcomes
Verified results and public-safe outcomes
- Deployment and platform operations became more consistent and reviewable.
- Operational visibility improved through monitoring and logging foundations.
- Infrastructure and delivery practices became easier to hand over and repeat.
- The public summary avoids unverified percentages and sensitive environment details.
Technologies
Tools and capability areas involved
Related services
Service paths connected to this work
Related services are resolved from the centralized service catalogue.
Related work
Other case studies with overlapping patterns
Discovery
Discuss a similar problem without assuming the same result.
Every environment has different constraints. Start with the current state, risk, access model, and the operational outcome you need.