Content
FAQ

2. Is Namesphere also available on AWS and Azure?

Namesphere is not currently available directly on AWS or Azure. However, as the operator of Namesphere, Metaways has extensive experience in Kubernetes-based platform operations within the AWS and Azure cloud environments.
The underlying understanding of Platform-as-a-Service and the full-service management approach are consistent with those of Namesphere. For more information, please visit: https://www.metaways.de

3. Who is behind Namesphere??

Namesphere is backed by the hosting company Metaways Infosystems GmbH. Since its founding in 2001, the Hamburg-based company has been operating business-critical web applications for clients in the SMB and enterprise sectors and developing its own open-source software. The experience gained from over two decades of operating modern web platforms has been directly incorporated into the development of Namesphere.
The team’s strengths lie particularly in project-oriented platform operations, a full-management approach, and practical DevOps expertise.

4. What types of applications is Namesphere suitable for?

Namesphere is particularly well-suited for modern web applications, APIs, and digital business applications. Typical use cases include e-commerce platforms, PIM and content management systems, DXP systems, frontends for headless architectures, enterprise applications, and custom software solutions.
By combining a container platform, managed platform services, and automatic scaling, Namesphere is suitable for both smaller projects and enterprise-level applications.

6. Is Namesphere based on Kubernetes?

Yes. Namesphere is based on a Kubernetes platform, which is operated as a multi-tenant cluster. Applications and platform services run within logically isolated projects, allowing multiple applications to run securely separated from each other.
Customers thus benefit from the technical advantages of Kubernetes, such as container orchestration, scalability, and high availability, without having to worry about operating or administering a Kubernetes cluster themselves.

7. Is Namesphere a PaaS platform?

Namesphere can be understood as a modern Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). It provides a fully managed runtime environment in which applications can be run along with the necessary platform services.
Unlike many traditional PaaS offerings, Namesphere is based on an open container and Kubernetes architecture. This allows customers to retain full control over their applications and containers, while Namesphere handles the operation, scaling, and management of the platform.

8. What platform services are available in Namesphere?

Namesphere provides a selection of fully managed platform services that can be used directly within a Namesphere instance. These currently include PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Redis, Valkey, RabbitMQ, OpenSearch, Solr, and Mercure.
All platform services are operated, monitored, and updated by the platform itself. The portfolio is continuously developed and expanded on a project-by-project basis as needed.

9. Can I run my own containers in Namesphere?

Namesphere is fundamentally run as a container. For each operational project, the platform sets up multiple namespaces within the Kubernetes cluster.
A dedicated namespace is available to the customer for their applications. Container images can be deployed, configurations managed, and multiple container replicas operated within this namespace, for example, to implement highly available setups.
Additional namespaces are used by the platform for running platform services and Kubernetes system services and are fully managed by Namesphere. This model applies to both the PROD and STAGE environments.

11. What tasks does Namesphere take on and what remains with the customer?

Namesphere takes over the complete operation of the platform. This includes, among other things, infrastructure, Kubernetes clusters, Kubernetes system services, and all provided platform services such as databases, messaging, and search systems.
The customer is responsible for operating their own application. This includes, in particular, creating the container images, deploying the application, and configuring the application and its logic within the provided namespace.
This model clearly separates platform operation by Namesphere and application operation by the customer.

12. Who operates and updates the platform services in Namesphere?

All platform services are fully operated and managed by Namesphere. This includes installation, configuration, monitoring, and regular updates of the services.
Platform services are monitored by the platform and scaled as needed, ensuring reliable and highly available operation within the Namesphere. Customers therefore do not need to worry about maintenance, updates, or the technical operation of these services.

14. How do STAGE and PROD differ technically?

STAGE and PROD share the same platform architecture and platform services. The main difference lies in the resource allocation and operating mode.
The platform services in the PROD environment are typically clustered and operated with high availability. In contrast, the STAGE environment is designed for development and testing purposes and uses reduced resources. Typically, it has about 50% of the system resources (CPU and RAM) available in the production environment.

15. Can a Namesphere be extended to include additional environments?

Yes. In addition to the standard PROD and STAGE environments, a Namesphere can be extended with further environments as needed. This can be useful, for example, if projects require additional development or testing environments such as DEV, QA, or PRE-PROD.
Additional environments are built using the same technical principles as existing environments and integrated into Namesphere. This allows for the mapping of more complex development and release processes within the platform.

16. Can I deploy applications independently in STAGE and PROD?

Yes. STAGE and PROD are completely separate environments. Applications can therefore be deployed independently in both environments.
There is no automatic synchronization or promotion between STAGE and PROD. Customers control when and in which version their applications are deployed in the respective environments.

17. How do I deploy my applications to a Namesphere?

Applications in Namesphere run as containers. Customers create their own container images and can deploy them via Git-based workflows.
For each operations project, Namesphere provides a dedicated Kubernetes namespace for the customer application. The application’s containers run within this namespace. Namesphere provides, among other things, a container registry, configuration mechanisms, and appropriate permissions for this purpose.
Multiple container replicas of an application can also be deployed to implement, for example, scalable or highly available application architectures.

19. How do the service plans (S, M, L, XL) work?

In Namesphere, resources are provisioned via standardized service plans. These plans define the base sizing for platform services, object storage, traffic, and the namespace in which customer applications run.
The individual plans differ in the resources provided, such as CPU, RAM, or storage space. Typically, several size options are available, such as S, M, L, and XL.
This planning model allows each Namesphere to be individually configured and equipped with an initial basic sizing that suits the respective project and its requirements.

20. Can I adjust resources or service plans later?

Yes. Booked service plans can generally be adjusted if the requirements of a project change.
Service plan adjustments are made at least five business days in advance of the start of a new billing month. This allows the base sizing of the Namesphere for platform services, applications, storage, or traffic to be adapted to changing requirements.

21. Are individual (larger) plans also possible?

Yes. Individual plans are possible if the basic sizing of an XL plan is insufficient for the requirements of a project.
In such cases, resources for platform services, applications, or other Namesphere components can be scaled on a project-specific basis. Individual plans are agreed upon with the customer to reliably meet specific performance or capacity requirements.

23. What does digital sovereignty mean at Namesphere?

At Namesphere, digital sovereignty means that infrastructure and platform operations are independent of global hyperscaler platforms. The platform is operated on its own infrastructure and is therefore subject to European legal frameworks.
This means that customer data is not affected by extraterritorial access possibilities, such as may exist with international cloud providers.

24. What security mechanisms does Namesphere offer for applications?

Namesphere provides a secure and stable platform environment for running applications. This includes, among other things, the isolation of projects within the Kubernetes platform, the monitored operation of the infrastructure, and the operation and updating of platform services by the platform itself.
Additionally, optional security solutions such as Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) can be used to protect applications from attacks such as DDoS attacks, malicious requests, or automated bots.
The security of the application itself – for example at the level of the application code or the application logic – remains the responsibility of the customer.

26. Is there a dashboard for my Namesphere

Yes. The platform provides a dedicated monitoring dashboard for each Namesphere. This dashboard offers a central overview of the status, utilization, and performance of the applications and platform services within the respective operations project.
The dashboards are pre-configured and can be used directly without requiring any additional monitoring configurations.

27. Which metrics are monitored by default?

Namesphere provides a range of standard metrics that offer a quick overview of the platform’s and applications’ health. These include metrics for CPU and memory utilization, container runtime, and application request and error rates.
These standard metrics are already integrated into the provided dashboard and enable a quick analysis of performance and system status.

28. Can I integrate my own metrics into Namesphere?

Yes. In addition to the standard metrics provided by the platform, applications can also provide their own metrics. These can, for example, be exported from the application itself and integrated into the monitoring system.
This allows for the monitoring of application-specific key performance indicators in addition to technical system metrics.

30. What types of support requests are ther

The platform distinguishes between three types of requests:

Incident
are events that can affect the operation of an application or platform function. Incidents are typically detected by the platform’s built-in monitoring and automatically reported. In such cases, the Namesphere platform team proactively begins analyzing and resolving the incident within the response time agreed upon in the SLA.

Change requests
concern adjustments to configurations or resources within a Namesphere, such as changes to platform configurations or access permissions.

General support requests
include technical questions about using the platform or operating applications within a Namesphere.
This distinction allows for a structured processing of the different types of requests.

31. What are the support hours?

Platform support is available during defined support hours. A distinction is made between standard support hours and optional extended support hours for handling malfunctions.

Standard support hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00 CET (on weekdays).
During standard support hours, incidents, change requests, and general support inquiries are processed.

Extended support hours (troubleshooting)
Monday to Friday, 18:00 to 09:00 CET and on German public holidays.
This extended support time is exclusively available for handling incidents in the PROD environment.

32. What are the response times for disturbances??

For malfunctions, defined response times apply within the framework of the agreed service levels. These refer to the first qualified response from support to a reported malfunction. Malfunctions are reported by the customer or by the monitoring system.

33. What does the optional 24×7 support include?

The optional 24×7 support allows for the handling of malfunctions in the production environment independently of the standard support hours.
This extended support applies exclusively to incidents in the PROD environment. Change requests and general support inquiries will continue to be handled during standard support hours.

34. How are changes and updates to the platform communicated?

Planned changes and maintenance work on the platform are generally announced at least seven days in advance. The announcement is made via the customer’s own ticket queue in the support system, giving customers sufficient time to prepare for the scheduled maintenance.
Regular updates to the platform services used are first rolled out in the STAGE environment. If no technical problems or issues occur there, the update is usually rolled out to the PROD environment after a delay of approximately seven days.
This approach gives customers the opportunity to test their applications in the STAGE environment after an update and to perform their own functional or smoke tests before changes take effect in the production environment.
In the case of critical maintenance work, the notice period may be shortened in individual cases.