GSP is a container platform and curated suite of components helping government deploy, run, observe and secure their services
The GSP IRC project was a tailored solution that addressed specific needs within the Government Digital Service (GDS) environment. While it provided a robust framework for utilizing Kubernetes on Amazon EKS, its utility was limited primarily to GDS operations—thus making it less appealing for broader use cases. As it stands, this decommissioning notice not only outlines its existing issues but also serves as guidance for any future attempts to repurpose the codebase after its archival.
Given the ever-evolving landscape of cloud services, especially with the advancements in platforms like GOV.UK PaaS, GSP’s existing architecture may no longer be the best choice for new applications. The intricacies of the GSP system—including its reliance on now-outdated technologies—are highlighted, emphasizing the necessity for potential users to carefully consider their options moving forward.
Outdated Kubernetes Support: GSP operates on Kubernetes version 1.16, which is significantly behind the latest stable releases, raising concerns for long-term operability.
Legacy Istio Dependency: The platform relies on Istio 1.5.8, which reached end-of-life in 2020, indicating a need for modernization to align with current standards.
Decommissioned Prometheus Operator: GSP utilized Prometheus and Grafana through a deprecated operator version, hindering effective monitoring and metrics management.
Vulnerability Check Pipeline: The deployment pipeline features a check-vulnerabilities job, although many of the third-party images it analyzes are outdated and could pose security risks.
Terraform with CloudFormation: The infrastructure is based on Terraform; however, it incorporates additional CloudFormation elements that complicate the deployment and management process.
Cluster Management Complexity: There are uncertainties regarding the necessity of cluster-management nodes, suggesting potential simplifications in architecture.
Outdated Service Operator: The custom service operator built for GSP is becoming obsolete due to AWS’s developing solutions, indicating a potential redundancy.
EC2 Instance Issues: GSP’s management of EC2 instances was problematic, highlighting a need for streamlined processes, such as adopting EKS Fargate for improved operational efficiency.
