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Kubernetes = Open-source container orchestration platform (base engine).
OpenShift = Red Hat’s enterprise platform built on top of Kubernetes + many important extras:
Enterprise features Security features Developer-friendly tools Built-in monitoring/logging GUI Console Operator management Compliance for production Integrated CI/CD pipelines (Tekton) Multicloud/hybrid-ready
Now, specifically for OpenShift 4.14, the extra features compared to Kubernetes are:
| Area | OpenShift 4.14 Extra Feature | Kubernetes Default |
|---|---|---|
| Web Console | Full beautiful GUI for managing Projects, Builds, Pipelines, Monitoring, Operators, etc. | No native console, only kubectl CLI |
| Authentication & Authorization | Built-in OAuth server (GitHub, LDAP, Google, etc.) | Only RBAC — external auth setup needed manually |
| Multi-Tenancy | Strong Project/Namespace isolation with RoleBindings, SCCs, ResourceQuotas, LimitRanges by default | Namespace isolation possible but needs manual policies |
| Image Management | Internal image registry + ImageStreams (track image versions, promote images) | No built-in registry, no ImageStreams |
| CI/CD | Tekton Pipelines and ArgoCD GitOps integrated | Install separately manually |
| Security Context | Strong enforced SecurityContextConstraints (SCC) model | PodSecurity Standards (looser unless tightened manually) |
| Operators | OperatorHub: one-click install for DBs, monitoring, etc. | Install operators manually, less curated |
| Cluster Monitoring | Built-in Prometheus + AlertManager + Grafana | Must install and configure manually |
| Logging | Optional Loki or Elasticsearch Stack | Must install Fluentd or Loki stack separately |
| Ingress Controller | HAProxy Ingress Router with full wildcard SSL support built-in | Only base Ingress Controller — needs customization |
| Storage | CSI Operators pre-integrated for AWS EBS, Azure Disk, etc. | Must manually configure CSI drivers |
| Machine Management | MachineSets, MachineAutoscalers (manage VMs directly) | Native Kubernetes only manages Pods, not Infra |
| Upgrades | oc adm upgrade — automatic OTA (Over The Air) upgrades, including cluster nodes | Manual version-by-version upgrades |
| Compliance and Hardening | Pre-built compliance profiles: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP | No built-in compliance tools |
| Hybrid/Multi-Cloud | Assisted Installer, ROSA (AWS OpenShift), ARO (Azure OpenShift) ready | Needs custom multi-cloud setup |
Extra New Features in OpenShift 4.14 specifically:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Kubernetes 1.27 Base | OpenShift 4.14 uses Kubernetes 1.27 base underneath |
| Node Tuning Enhancements | Better auto-configuration of node performance profiles |
| Improved CRI-O | CRI-O 1.27 container runtime with better OCI compliance |
| Operator SDK v1.30 | Build Operators faster and with new Kubernetes versions |
| OpenShift GitOps 1.11 | Upgraded ArgoCD 2.8 for GitOps |
| Better NVIDIA GPU Support | GPU Operator and node management simplified |
| Developer Preview: Hosted Control Planes (Hypershift) | Lighter OpenShift clusters for Edge / Multi-Cloud |
| Build Defaults and Overrides | Administrators can enforce build environment settings |
| OLM (Operator Lifecycle Manager) v0.27 | Smarter Operator upgrades |
| OpenShift Pipelines 1.12 (Tekton) | Full Kubernetes 1.27 compatibility for CI/CD pipelines |
| Networking Enhancements | Improved OVN-Kubernetes CNI, hybrid networking |
| OpenShift Virtualization 4.14 | New features for running Virtual Machines inside OpenShift (like VMs + Pods!) |
In Short:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is OpenShift still Kubernetes? | Yes! OpenShift includes Kubernetes (always), plus more. |
| Why OpenShift then? | Adds enterprise-ready features Kubernetes doesn’t include by default. |
| For learning/testing? | Use Kubernetes. |
| For real-world production-grade platform (security, upgrades, apps)? | Use OpenShift 4.14. |
Visual Picture
Kubernetes = The Engine
+
OpenShift =
- Security System
- Navigation System (GUI)
- Auto Upgraders
- Integrated Pipelines
- Registry & Operators
- Monitoring/Logging
- Compliance Ready
- Multi-cloud Ready
Final Key Points:
OpenShift 4.14 = Kubernetes 1.27 + Enterprise Grade Additions Safer, easier, and faster to deploy real apps (not just test apps) Red Hat maintains + supports OpenShift long term Highly recommended for production use in real companies
I’m a DevOps/SRE/DevSecOps/Cloud Expert passionate about sharing knowledge and experiences. I am working at Cotocus. I blog tech insights at DevOps School, travel stories at Holiday Landmark, stock market tips at Stocks Mantra, health and fitness guidance at My Medic Plus, product reviews at I reviewed , and SEO strategies at Wizbrand.
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