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MacStadium Blog

Announcing Orka - Orchestration with Kubernetes on Apple

Released today, Orka (Orchestration with Kubernetes on Apple) is our new virtualization layer for Mac build infrastructure based on Docker and Kubernetes technology.

We are excited to announce that Orka has been released! Orka (Orchestration with Kubernetes on Apple) is our new virtualization layer for Mac build infrastructure based on Docker and Kubernetes technology. Orka enables users to apply native Kubernetes commands for macOS virtual machines (VMs) on genuine Apple hardware. While Kubernetes and Docker are not new to full-stack developers, a solution like this has not existed in the Apple ecosystem before.

“The reality is that most enterprises need to develop applications for Apple platforms, but these enterprises prefer to use nimble software-defined build environments,” said Greg McGraw, MacStadium's CEO. “With Orka, MacStadium’s flagship orchestration platform, developers and DevOps teams now have access to a software-defined Mac cloud experience that treats infrastructure-as-code, similar to what they are accustomed to using everywhere else.”

Developers creating apps for Mac or iOS must build on genuine Apple hardware, but until now, popular orchestration and container technologies like Kubernetes and Docker have been unable to leverage Mac operating systems. With Orka, Apple OS development teams can use container technology features in a Mac cloud the same way they build on other cloud platforms like AWS, Azure or GCP.

As part of its initial release, Orka is shipping with a plugin for Jenkins, an open-source automation server that enables developers around the world to reliably build, test and deploy their software using continuous integration and continuous delivery techniques.

“Mac has always been an important platform for developers, but it has consistently lagged in terms of automation,” said Kohsuke Kawaguchi, chief scientist at CloudBees and founder of the Jenkins project. “We’re excited that technologies like Orka bridge this crucial gap and make our users’ lives easier.”

MacStadium is sponsoring DevOps World | Jenkins World in San Francisco from August 12-15 and presenting a session on how Orka integrates with Jenkins build pipelines and how it leverages the capability and power of Docker/Kubernetes in a Mac development environment. Onsite at DevOps World | Jenkins World? Visit the MacStadium team at booth #1329!

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