I'm diving into an interesting challenge here. My boss wants to sell a monthly license for a custom on-premises Kubeflow framework that runs on the customer's own Kubernetes cluster. The customer's got admin rights over that cluster, and we're using Dex with an Azure AD connector for user login, tying it to their tenant.
Here's the tricky part: my boss is looking for a way to revoke login access if the customer doesn't pay up. But I'm concerned this might be impossible. With cluster-admin privileges, the customer could easily bypass any restrictions we put in place, like adding new Dex connectors or simply removing our licensing controls. We only manage our ACR for custom container images, but customizing every image is way too labor-intensive, and even then, they could keep using the solution until it fails, provided they can reach our ACR.
So I'm questioning if it's really feasible to maintain licensing control while granting the customer full admin access. Am I right in thinking this could be a dead end, or is there something I'm overlooking? I've only got about six months of Kubernetes experience, so I'm eager to hear any thoughts or insights!
3 Answers
Your boss really expects you to create an enterprise-level offering with so little experience? That’s ambitious, to say the least! Just ensure you’re taking some time to rethink this approach; it might not be as straightforward as they think. Licensing in such an open environment is a tough nut to crack!
There are companies that manage to enforce licenses even on Kubernetes deployments. They're not giving customers source code but packaged products instead, which makes it easier to control. Here are a couple of things to consider:
1. You're providing a deployable package, which isn’t as easily replicable as the actual raw source.
2. Proper legal agreements can help ensure compliance, making it harder for customers to bypass licensing. Check out how other products handle licensing enforcement—they may have the insights you need.
Your situation sounds tough, especially with just six months of experience! Licensing Kubernetes itself is tricky since it’s open source and anyone can replicate configurations. It seems like your boss’s expectations might not align with what’s realistically possible. If you're just wrapping existing open-source tools, customers may not see the value in paying for it.
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