Get a fully managed runtime based on Kyma and Kubernetes

I’m excited to announce that SAP launched a fully managed Kubernetes runtime based on the Kyma open source project, the SAP Kyma Runtime, or officially “SAP Cloud Platform, Kyma runtime”. With this, you can now get a Kubernetes-based offering as part of SAP Cloud Platform next to the Cloud Foundry application runtime, or ABAP runtime – letting you choose what best fits your needs.

What is the Kyma runtime?

There is often a need to extend existing SAP and non-SAP solutions to create a competitive advantage and therefore a more comprehensive and unique customer experience. With the launch of the SAP Kyma Runtime SAP offers customers and partners an environment that allows them to build extensions by using both microservices and serverless functions. This way it offers not only the possibility to extend one SAP solution, it also allows combining existing IT solutions to create new capabilities.

At the same time, we want to make it easy for the cloud-native developers to run their workloads by providing a Service Mesh based on Istio in a highly scalable environment. You can also write serverless functions and combine them with containerized microservices. On top of that, enabling Kyma runtime will provide you with an event bus, so that you can build event-based as well as API-based extensions. The provided API gateway allows you to consume the extensions you have built from the outside world.

Under the hood, Gardener open source is used for cluster and container management which will make it available across all cloud providers, removing hyperscaler lock-in while allowing for a highly scalable infrastructure. We start with an offering on Microsoft Azure and plan to add more hyperscalers over the next couple of months.

In short: the benefits of using Kyma runtime

Working with Kyma runtime, this extension allows you to:

• Mesh Serverless Functions, Microservices or custom docker images in one runtime
• Upskill your developers quickly due to open standards
• Get a fully managed Kubernetes Runtime
• Leverage the built-in capabilities of Kyma:
  • API Microgateway
  • Event bus
  • Service mesh

These technical capabilities optimize development and give you tangible business benefits:

• It reduces both the TCO and time-to-market
• Managed runtime that fits the needs and skillset of your work force for cloud-native solutions
• Aligned with SAP operational and release processes and standards
• Best services/tooling from hyperscalers, combined with open standards + SAP specific value add on top

Which solutions can you connect to?

In parallel to the Kyma runtime, the newly built Central Management Plane service was launched as part of any SAP Cloud Platform Global account. The runtime can be conveniently configured and managed by the Central Management Plane, which provides out-of-the-box connectivity to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP Commerce Cloud, SAP Field Service Management and SAP Cloud for Customers. Further application connectors will be delivered to cover the entire Intelligent Suite.

How to get Kyma runtime?

The Kyma runtime is entirely consumption-based and auto-scales to your needs. To get started with SAP Cloud Platform, Kyma runtime, you can buy cloud credits via the Cloud Platform Enterprise Agreement and then automatically deploy one or multiple Kyma runtime in the region best fitting their need.

Users can also subscribe to additional Business- and Backing-Service offered on SAP Cloud Platform to reduce development efforts further.

Offering a Kubernetes-based runtime based on an open-source framework with SAP Cloud Platform, Kyma runtime is another step SAP is taking to strengthen the support for cloud-native development, promoting openness and open-source technologies – and providing the flexibility you need.

Additional resources:

Kyma Open Source website

SAP Help Portal

SAP Cloud Platform Discovery Center

Blog post: SAP Cloud Platform, Kyma runtime: How to get started

Kyma runtime onboarding mission