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How Booking.com Built its Own Kubernetes Platform.
Introduction
In 2016, Booking.com embarked on a transformative journey by integrating containers into its infrastructure. The goal was simple: empower developers with fast, direct access to the resources they needed to innovate and scale. However, the path to achieving this wasn’t straightforward. After experimenting with OpenShift, the team realized that a custom-built Kubernetes platform was the answer. Here’s how they made the switch and what they learned along the way.
The Challenge: Scaling DevOps and Removing Bottlenecks
Booking.com initially adopted OpenShift, a Kubernetes-based platform with a high-level CLI interface, which allowed developers to create services rapidly. This setup, inspired by Heroku, gave Booking.com’s developers the quick access they needed to deploy applications.
However, there was a catch: with Kubernetes hidden from view, developers didn’t understand the underlying technology. Consequently, any failure — whether due to application issues or the platform itself — required intervention from the infrastructure team. Over time, this created a “knowledge bottleneck.” Every problem funneled through the infrastructure team, leading to inefficiencies that hindered the company’s growth potential.
