Top orchestration tools and 5 steps to select them

Orchestration tools are a vital instrument in DevOps engineering. They help manage, automate, and scale operations across containers and various infrastructure and application components, ensuring solutions operate smoothly in different environments. The container orchestration market, in particular, is booming: it’s expected to reach $3.5B by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 18.9% over the forecast period. However, orchestration is not just about containers. So, what system components can you manage with orchestration solutions? What are the best tools on the market right now, and how can you select the most fitting ones for your environment? Let’s explore together.

What is orchestration, and why is it important?

Orchestration software is like a conductor that guides an orchestra: each part can perform by itself, but an orchestrator tool is needed for everything to function in harmony. In DevOps, orchestration coordinates multiple tasks. It can include container deployment, automating or building an infrastructure, managing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows, and other functions. For instance, container orchestration tools determine where and when each container should run, while CI/CD orchestration coordinates testing and deployment. This comprehensive approach is crucial to streamline processes, enhance application reliability, and speed up development.

The main target areas for orchestration

Although container orchestration tools are among the most well-known, this process occurs across different areas. Here are the main components we’ll cover in this article:

Containers

Container orchestration is all about running containerized applications reliably and efficiently. Tools for orchestration help manage container lifecycles, scale containers as needed, and ensure they recover from failures quickly.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure orchestration focuses on automating, managing, and scaling the underlying IT infrastructure. Such tools help streamline provisioning, optimize resource use, and reduce manual effort.

CI/CD

Continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) orchestration is among the best practices for building effective CI/CD pipelines. It’s all about automating the code deployment process in a particular environment. Orchestration tools used for this help define the pipeline structure, including the sequence of stages, job configurations, and the specific tasks to be executed at each stage.

Data

Everything in technology relies on data, whether it’s for decision-making, automation, or insights. Therefore, data orchestration becomes crucial to automate and manage the flow of data across systems.

We’ve asked our DevOps experts at N-iX about the best tools engineers use for orchestration in these areas—read on to discover the master list they’ve compiled.

Top 5 container orchestration tools: Kubernetes and beyond

Kubernetes is an undisputed leader in the market when it comes to orchestrating containers. It was developed as an open-source platform by Google in 2008, and it’s branched out into a massive variety of solutions since then—both proprietary and open-source. Here are several tasks Kubernetes can help you with:

• Service discovery and load balancing to distribute network traffic and keep deployment stable;
• Automatic bin packing to allocate resources efficiently based on how much CPU and RAM each container requires;
• Storage orchestration to automatically connect to local or cloud storage;
• Self-healing to automatically restart or replace failed containers.

The original, raw version of Kubernetes is exceptionally cost-effective. Provided you have sufficient on-premises computing resources and the means to manage the tool, you only pay to run Kubernetes. At the same time, implementing and managing it can become a challenge that eclipses its cost-related advantages.

As migration to the cloud grew more widespread, Kubernetes also had to adapt. Now, it’s available as a managed service from cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Azure. Those vendors include the essential functionality of Kubernetes into a complete platform as a service (PaaS) solution, offering comprehensive support, security, scaling, and maintenance features. Let’s review several Kubernetes orchestration tools and one Kubernetes alternative that our engineers highlight.

1. Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Services (EKS)

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service delivers Kubernetes for the AWS cloud and on-premises data centers. In the cloud, EKS takes care of managing application availability, scheduling containers, and storing cluster data, among other tasks. For on-premises infrastructures, it offers a Kubernetes solution with full support, in-built tools, and streamlined deployment to AWS Outposts and virtual machines. The main features include:

• Built-in integrations with AWS services;
• Automatic application of security patches;
• Amazon Fargate integration that allows using serverless computing to reduce provisioning costs.

2. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Azure Kubernetes Service helps deploy and manage containerized applications on Azure. It automates routine tasks like health monitoring and scaling, making it easy to run Kubernetes without complex infrastructure management. Here are the key features of AKS:

• Dynamic adjustment of resources to meet workload changes;
• Azure Active Directory integration;
• Automated monitoring of cluster health and performance;
• Continuous Kubernetes updates and security patches.

3. Azure Service Fabric

Azure Service Fabric is closely related to AKS but focuses on building and managing scalable microservices and container-based applications. Here are several main features:

• Integration with PowerShell and Visual Studio through .NET SDK;
• Integration with Linux development environments like Eclipse through Java SDK;
• Serverless computing to eliminate provisioning hassles;
• Seamless integration with CI/CD tools.

4. Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)

Google Kubernetes Engine is an automated, scalable Kubernetes service for Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It also allows you to manage clusters that run on other clouds, such as AWS and Azure, through its GKE Multi-Cloud API. Here is what it offers:

• Support for 65,000-node clusters;
• “Autopilot” hands-off mode that manages clusters automatically;
• Flexible editions, from Standard to Enterprise;
• 196% ROI in three years;
• Automated threat detection and compliance monitoring.

5. Docker Swarm—a Kubernetes alternative

Docker Swarm is one of the Docker orchestration tools explicitly designed to orchestrate Docker applications. It’s built-in, meaning any Docker installation allows you to enable the Swarm mode. Here are several key features:

• Native clustering for Docker containers;
• Support for rolling updates and service scaling;
• Built-in load balancing for containerized services.

Compared to Kubernetes, Swarm offers an easier configuration process and a shallower learning curve, but it comes at the cost of reduced functionality in several aspects.

Top 2 infrastructure orchestration tools

1. Terraform

Terraform is an infrastructure as code (IaC) solution that helps build infrastructures in the cloud or on-premises. It enables you to create and configure an infrastructure with a single pipeline, making deployments faster and more reliable. It also allows you to define environment blueprints, including all dependencies and modules, in a declarative language, making modifying or recreating your environment easy.

Here are several features that make Terraform stand out as an infrastructure orchestrator:

• Declarative configuration that allows you to specify what infrastructure you want to create rather than detailing how to create it;
• Multi-cloud support to manage resources across different clouds with a single configuration;
• Continuous tracking of your infrastructure’s state to ensure it stays consistent;
• Modular design that enables you to reuse configurations;
• Automatic handling of resource dependencies to ensure the correct order of operations.

2. Ansible

Although Ansible is frequently compared with Terraform, the main difference lies in these tools’ purposes rather than performance.

While Terraform is mainly used for infrastructure provisioning, Ansible is more about configuration management and automation. It primarily automates software installation, settings updates, and other tasks on already deployed systems. It is procedural rather than declarative, meaning you define precisely how and in what order tasks should be executed. To enable this functionality, Ansible uses playbooks—YAML files that define a series of tasks to be executed on servers.

Ansible allows you to:

• Ensure tasks only make changes when necessary, avoiding redundant updates;
• Automate tasks using YAML files that define configurations and actions;
• Use Secure Shell (SSH) to communicate with target machines directly without installing any software or agents on them.

Top 4 CI/CD orchestration tools

1. Jenkins

Jenkins is an open-source server that enables developers to automate software building, testing, and deployment. Compared to other CI/CD tools, it’s highly customizable and flexible.

Top three key advantages of Jenkins include:

• Price and flexibility. Since Jenkins is open-source, it’s free to use and highly adaptable to various workflows and requirements.
• Extensive plugin support. With over 1,500 plugins, Jenkins can integrate with virtually any tool, from version control systems to deployment platforms.
• Active community. Being one of the most popular CI/CD orchestrators, Jenkins has built up a significant wealth of resources, tutorials, and community members who can help resolve common problems quickly.

2. CircleCI

CircleCI is a cloud-based orchestrator designed for rapid setup and seamless scaling. Similarly to Jenkins, it automates the build, test, and deployment process, focusing on speed and simplicity for DevOps teams.

Top three main benefits of CircleCI include:

• Optimization for speed. CircleCI helps significantly reduce build times and accelerate delivery by using intelligent caching and parallelism.
• SSH debugging. The tool allows developers to access live SSH sessions within failed builds, making it easier to debug directly in the build environment.
• Performance insights and metrics. CircleCI features advanced monitoring tools to track pipeline performance, helping teams identify and mitigate bottlenecks.

3. GitHub Actions

Unlike some other CI/CD tools, GitHub Actions is tightly integrated with GitHub’s ecosystem. This makes it a suitable choice for teams that are already using GitHub for version control.

Top three critical advantages of GitHub Actions include:

• Native GitHub integration. Since GitHub Actions is directly embedded within GitHub, it allows for easier access to repositories, issues, and pull requests.
• Parallel configuration build. It supports parallel running of multiple configurations, enabling efficient testing across different environments and operating systems.
• Custom workflows with pre-built actions. GitHub Actions offers customizable workflows, allowing you to define automation processes step-by-step. This way, you can set up pipelines that perfectly fit your development and deployment requirements.

4. GitLab

GitLab is one of the most popular orchestration tools for CI/CD. It’s designed to automate the entire DevOps lifecycle from a single platform. Essentially, teams can build, test, and deploy without leaving the GitLab environment.

Top three primary benefits of GitLab include:

• Auto DevOps. GitLab can automatically detect the languages used and suggest templates for complete pipelines, delivering a whole DevOps experience with minimal setup.
• DevSecOps and built-in security scans. GitLab’s integrated security scans enable you to identify vulnerabilities early in the pipeline, making code more secure from the start.
• Self-hosted runners support. Sometimes, you need to have more control over your CI/CD environment and resource management. GitLab helps you achieve it by supporting self-hosted runners—servers or machines that you manage yourself to run CI/CD jobs rather than using the platform’s cloud-hosted runners.

Top tool for data orchestration: Apache Airflow

Apache Airflow is our experts’ top selection for data orchestration. It’s an open-source tool to orchestrate data workflows. It’s written in Python, making it accessible to data engineers and analysts. With Airflow, you can define the sequence of tasks required for data processing, from extraction to transformation and loading. It supports both ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) and ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) approaches, allowing you to schedule tasks based on your data needs and infrastructure setup.

There is also a managed version of Airflow in Google Cloud Platform called Cloud Composer. It simplifies integration into the GCP ecosystem since you can use Airflow’s capabilities without directly handling infrastructure. Combined with Cloud Composer’s convenience, Airflow’s flexibility makes it a powerful tool for building, scheduling, and monitoring data pipelines.

5 essential steps to choose the right orchestration tools

Getting started with orchestration can get tricky unless you know precisely what you’re looking for. At N-iX, we’ve helped many organizations define their needs and choose the right tools for their orchestration strategies. In this section, we’ll shed some light on this process and break down the key steps to help you decide on the most fitting solutions.

1. Define your objectives and targets for orchestration

The first step that will greatly narrow down the options is defining what you want to orchestrate and what outcomes you’re hoping for.

Consider asking yourself these questions:

• Do you want to orchestrate containers, infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, data, or something else?
• Is your setup on-premises or in the cloud?
• Is there a specific cloud platform your orchestrator should integrate with?
• What do you want to achieve with orchestration?

The answers will help you pinpoint the right features and tools to ensure the setup aligns with your goals from the start.

2. Choose reliable providers with short SLAs

The most common challenge in orchestration is being unable to get sufficient support quickly. When downtime hits, this can mean disrupted operations and lost profits, so fast support is essential.

Therefore, when selecting a tool, consider how well-established the provider is. Most cloud providers, like GCP and Azure, offer high availability and fast issue resolution. However, if you’re using a smaller tool or raw Kubernetes, you might be waiting significantly longer.

In other words, choose providers that offer short SLAs. An SLA stands for service-level agreement and typically outlines response times for specific incidents or support requests. “Short SLA” implies that the vendor is committed to rapid responses.

3. Conduct a PoC to test each tool

You can be confident that a particular tool fits your needs and infrastructure only after seeing it in action. N-iX can help you conduct a proof of concept (PoC) or create a test environment to compare several solutions. By creating a sample of your typical workflow and trying to orchestrate it, our experts can monitor each solution’s performance, ease of use, and reliability. This will allow you to make a more informed decision and avoid unexpected incompatibilities later on.

4. Compare pricing and payment plans

When selecting the tools, consider their payment options and your budget. Many of these solutions offer pay-as-you-go models, often charging per cluster per hour or through subscription plans. For infrastructure orchestrators like Ansible, you can encounter an annual payment plan with varying prices, depending on how many managed nodes you need. By aligning pricing models with your specific workload needs, you can prevent unexpected expenses further down the road.

5. Find a trusted DevOps partner

Every tool, whether open-source or proprietary, requires implementation and maintenance. Partnering with a reliable DevOps consultant can simplify this process. Experienced DevOps engineers possess expertise to configure these tools efficiently, align them with your goals, and ensure seamless integration into your environment. They can also help you steer clear of numerous common pitfalls and optimize your orchestration strategy.

Wrapping up

Selecting the right orchestration tools is paramount to optimizing your workflows—whether you’re managing containers, CI/CD pipelines, or infrastructures. The key to navigating all the available choices is understanding what you need, testing tools in sample environments, and considering factors like support, integration, and cost.

Finding the most suitable orchestration solution can be complicated, but an experienced DevOps consultant can guide you through every step of the process. With the right expertise, you can ensure a smooth journey from selecting the best tool to implementing and managing it.

Why should you choose N-iX to fulfill your orchestration needs?

• With a team of 60 strong DevOps engineers, N-iX has extensive experience in implementing complex DevOps projects.
• N-iX is proficient in cloud technologies, being an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner, a Google Cloud Platform Partner, and a Microsoft Solutions Partner.
• Our engineers have proven experience in applying CircleCI, Kubernetes, GitLab, Docker, and Terraform, among other solutions for DevOps projects.
• We have experience implementing DevOps practices for the finance, manufacturing, healthcare, telecom, and other industries.