Introducing the Next Phase of Zora Dashboard

The Zora Dashboard is on the verge of entering a transformative phase, and we're excited to share the journey of its evolution. From its inception to the imminent launch, this blog post will delve into the development of Zora Dashboard, highlighting key milestones and advancements along the way.

Acknowledging Our Community and Team

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the DevOps community and all who provided invaluable feedback. Your collaboration has been pivotal in the continuous development of Zora Dashboard. A special thanks to our dedicated engineering and operations teams, whose expertise and relentless efforts have been instrumental in refining our product. We also acknowledge Getup's management for their unwavering support and belief in this project.

The Origin of the Zora Dashboard Name

The inception of Zora Dashboard stemmed from the necessity to enhance Kubernetes compliance and security management. Inspired by the pioneers of container orchestration, we set out to create a solution that simplifies and optimizes Kubernetes management.

Why "Zora"? In the early cloud-native era, Google's Borg project dominated container-oriented cluster management. As avid Star Trek fans, we drew inspiration from Zora, the AI from Star Trek: Discovery, who, after merging with a collective of other intelligences, became sentient and a member of the crew, bringing insights and managing the ship more efficiently.

The Genesis of Zora Dashboard

The Zora Dashboard was conceived through extensive interviews with Kubernetes administrators across various sectors. Common challenges emerged, such as the need for centralized visualization of cluster configurations and adherence to best practices for security and compliance. These insights guided our development process.

On October 5, 2022, we launched the Alpha version of Zora Dashboard, inviting the public to participate in live demos and provide feedback. This interaction was crucial in shaping robust features that address daily operational needs. By January 2023, we introduced the first free version, supporting up to three clusters and featuring misconfiguration scans integrated with plugins like Marvin and Zora, managed by the Getup development team, Undistro.

Our user base grew substantially, prompting Getup's management to invest in market research and team training. As Diogo Goebel, CEO, stated, "Detecting misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in Kubernetes is essential for operational security and efficiency. As Kubernetes environments grow, the demand for tools like the Zora Dashboard will only increase, helping companies keep their infrastructures secure and optimized."

In October 2023, we embarked on developing a new version to address user-reported vulnerabilities. After refining engineering, performance, and user experience, we integrated Trivy for vulnerability scanning. The new version launched in São Paulo in January 2024, marking a significant milestone in our journey.

Since then, our team has focused on personalizing the user experience and developing new features. This work has led to the launch of version 1.0 of the Zora Dashboard on 09/25/2024. We look forward to sharing this new phase with you.

What has been released to users so far?

Zora Dashboard has provided early users with a range of features designed to enhance Kubernetes management:

• Centralized Management: Manage multiple clusters through a single interface, simplifying operational workflows.

• Workspace Invites: Enable effective collaboration by inviting team members to shared workspaces for joint problem-solving.

• Misconfiguration Scan: Identify and fix configuration issues, ensuring best practice compliance.

• Vulnerability Scanning with Trivy: Detect and address vulnerabilities within Kubernetes clusters to maintain application security.

• Dashboard Highlights: Quickly access the top five critical issues in clusters for immediate action.

  
  

These features were made available to early users to improve the efficiency, security, and compliance of Kubernetes environments.

Upcoming Features

As we prepare for the new phase, we are developing features like risk acceptance and extensive customization to provide a comprehensive cluster management experience.

Secure Your Spot for Early Access Updates 

If you haven’t yet used Zora Dashboard and want to be among the first to receive updates for the new version, join the waitlist. Early access participants will experience the new features and enhancements starting on September 25th 2024.

Final Thanks

With the upcoming launch of Zora Dashboard on September 25th 2024, we're committed to delivering a tool that truly meets the needs of Kubernetes practitioners. We sincerely appreciate your continued support and feedback, which have been vital to our development. Stay tuned for more details about our business model. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Getup Team