Software Solutions Made in Germany
Cyber Resilience - Digital Sovereignty - Future-Proofing are goals worth turning your company upside down for.
A well-managed IT/OT system landscape is essential for the performance and success of the company.
⇒ APILANi is your #1 Alliance Partner to get your IT/OT landscape in shape.
Software Solutions Made in Germany: What does it for you?
Fraunhofer IESE's assessment on the importance of German software products:
The advantages of German software lie in its quality, innovation, and security. German software companies are known for their thorough testing and quality control, which ensures that products meet the highest quality standards. These extensive testing procedures are an essential part of German development processes and form the backbone of software quality.
Germany stands not only for quality, but also for innovation. The German software industry is known for its ability to constantly evolve and set new standards. A key factor in Germany's innovative strength is its extensive focus on research and development (R&D). German companies invest considerable resources in R&D to stay one step ahead and develop new technologies. These investments are crucial for maintaining competitiveness in the global market. Through continuous innovation, German software companies can tap into new market niches and remain at the forefront of technological developments.
How IT/OT Infrastructure Management impacts your business goals.
IT/OT Infrastructure Management:
The IT/OT infrastructure encompasses all physical and virtual components – hardware, software, and networks, both on-premises and at the edge or in the cloud – for the deployment and operation of digital applications and thus for the smooth running of business processes. If even a single cog in this gear fails, the entire system can fail. Numerous hack attacks prove this statement every day.
Good preparation for cyber resilience therefore means keeping the company's IT/OT system landscape as transparent and up-to-date as possible. This primarily includes comprehensive management, regular maintenance, and detailed monitoring of the entire IT/OT environment. Vulnerabilities should be identified and remediated early in compliance with corporate standards and security policies to ensure optimal performance of the overall system and prevent corporate goals from being jeopardized by system outages.
IT/OT Convergence:
The integration of IT and OT systems (also known as IT/OT Convergence) enables real-time data exchange, thus contributing to increased efficiency and improved decision-making in process automation. It is therefore important to establish regular maintenance cycles for both IT and OT systems. Complex infrastructures are the backbone of modern enterprises – but they also bring with them numerous operational, security and organizational challenges - especially with regard to the interoperability of the systems.
Challenges in IT/OT Infrastructure Management - and effective Solution Approaches
Challenge | Impact | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Complexity & Heterogeneity | ||
🔍 multiple systems, versions and vendors create fragmented structures (no standardization) | 📌 high maintenance effort and integration issues | 💡 Standardization, platform management, automation (e.g. Infrastructure-as-Code), centralized monitoring and asset management |
| 2. Lack of Transparency | ||
🔍 no central visibility of assets, dependencies or system status | 📌 delayed troubleshooting, hidden risks | 💡 Implementation of CMDB, comprehensive monitoring & reporting |
| 3. Security Vulnerabilities | ||
🔍 unpatched systems, weak access controls, outdated protocols increase security risks | 📌 increased attack surface, operational risks, Security incidents, data loss and operational downtime | 💡 automated patch management, Zero-Trust architecture, network segmentation and OT security |
| 4. Availability & Performance | ||
🔍 missing redundancy, manual interventions | 📌 System downtime, production interruptions | 💡 automated failover, performance monitoring, capacity planning |
| 5. Organizational Silos | ||
🔍 disconnected IT, OT and operations teams cause unclear responsibilities | 📌 inefficient collaboration, duplicated work, information loss and unclear responsibilities | 💡 DevOps and ITSM integration, centralized documentation, shared dashboards, clear accountability / role definitions |
| 6. Manual Operations | ||
🔍 repetitive or routine tasks are still performed manually | 📌 high error rate, operational risk,time-consuming and slow onboarding. | 💡 Workflow automation, orchestration tools, scripting |
| 7. Skill Gaps & Knowledge Loss | ||
🔍 Knowledge is not documented, dependency on key individuals | 📌 reduced efficiency, operational risk and innovation delays | 💡 Knowledge management, automated documentation standards / policies and training programs |
| 8. Cost & Resource Constraints | ||
🔍 high operational costs, low efficiency and slow adaptation to change | 📌 Budget pressure, delayed modernization | 💡 Cost transparency, hybrid/cloud strategies, automation for cost reduction |
| 9. Low Agility & Flexibility | ||
🔍 slow adaption of new requirements | 📌 reduced competitiveness | 💡 modular architectures, CI/CD integration, agile infrastructure models |
| 10. Compliance & Governance | ||
🔍 missing audit trails, unclear responsibilities | 📌 Compliance violations, audit risks | 💡 Governance frameworks, documentation and audit tools |
| 11. IT/OT Integration | ||
🔍 different system lifecycles and incompatible technologies between IT and OT systems | 📌 Security vulnerabilities, data inconsistencies, data silos and inefficiencies | 💡 secure interfaces, unified management platforms, OT-specific security concepts and OT-compatible security frameworks |
Automated IT/OT Infrastructure Management: Bridging Technology and Operations
The performance of modern businesses depends directly on a stable, secure and scalable IT/OT infrastructure. A perfect IT/OT Infrastructure Management system ensures the secure, efficient and transparent integration of both worlds – from network architecture to data management.
When IT and OT converge, the IT/OT Infrastructure becomes more than just a technical foundation – it becomes a strategic success factor for productivity, resilience, innovation and growth through:
✔️ holistic transparency: Unified monitoring of IT and OT systems
✔️ enhanced security: Protection of critical production and business data
✔️ higher efficiency: Optimized processes through integrated infrastructure management
✔️ future-readiness: Foundation for Industry 4.0, cloud integration, and IIoT initiatives
✔️ Business Continuity: Stable, scalable, and resilient system environments
With deep expertise in technology, industry and international markets, APILANi combines strategic consulting with hands-on execution. In our section Software Solutions ‘Made in Germany’, we present effective software solutions for your IT/OT system landscape.
Introducing: UPTR™ – the autopilot for your IT/OT operations 👉 our offer: a PoC in 30 days!
With UPTR™ from LibOnIce we deliver an open-based infrastructure management platform ‘Made in Germany' for the automated operation of complex IT/OT infrastructures – especially for logistics, industrial and critical infrastructure companies (KRITIS).
UPTR™ handles System Provisioning, Software Lifecycle Management and DevOps integration – securely, transparently and vendor-independently.
UPTR™ helps IT and OT teams break down silos, connect data and future-proof their infrastructure – for measurable added value and sustainable growth.
UPTR™ automates your operations, reduces risks and creates auditable transparency across all systems, locations and dependencies.
Problem - Companies with large IT/OT landscapes struggle with
🔧 high manual effort in operations
🔧 heterogeneous systems & security risks
🔧 increasing compliance requirements (NIS2, KRITIS)
🔧 dependence on proprietary, expensive tools
UPTR™ USP & Competitive Edge
📌 holistic solution (provisioning + lifecycle + DevOps)
📌 open source security-first design
📌 automation reduces operating costs by up to 70%
📌 compliance-ready (NIS2 / KRITIS)
📌 vendor-neutral – maximum customer control
The Infrastructure Management Platform UPTR™ offers
✔ centralized management of thousands of systems NIS2 & ISO 27001-compliant
✔ automation Open source-based → no license costs, full transparency
✔ subscription-based usage model
✔ services optionally available as a public cloud Managed Services (24/7) or On-Premises solution
⇒ Your benefit: faster rollouts, more stable operational processes and clear traceability down to the last detail.
Your benefit of an PoC with UPTR™
1. Minimal Risk – Maximum Insight
➜ You invest only limited time and resources.
➜ The PoC runs in isolation, securely, and under control.
📌 You can test whether UPTR™ meets your requirements without risk.
2. Reality Check instead of Promises
UPTR™ is tested directly in the customer's own environment:
➜ real systems
➜ real processes
➜ real data
📌 This provides objective proof that the solution works.
3. Rapid Proof of Value
The PoC measurably demonstrates:
➜ how much time automated deployments save
➜ how many sources of error are eliminated
➜ how secure and transparent updates and configurations become
➜ how heterogeneity can be reduced
📌 The customer sees in black and white the business value that UPTR™ delivers.
4. Decision Support for Management
Through the Proof of Concept (PoC), the customer immediately receives:
➜ clear KPIs
➜ documented results
➜ risk/cost/benefit analysis
📌 This enables you to make a well-informed investment decision.
5. Accelerated Start – Setup for later Rollout
The PoC prepares for later production operation:
➜ structures are created
➜ processes are defined
➜ integration with existing tools is tested
📌 You save time during the later rollout because much is already in place.
6. Competitive Advantage for the Customer
Many companies today struggle with:
➜ fragmented infrastructures
➜ silos between IT & OT
➜ error-prone, manual processes
➜ insecure and unreliable deployments
📌 UPTR™ automates, standardizes, and creates transparency. The PoC demonstrates how this can be solved quickly.
UPTR™ Module Overview
1. Web-UI / Dashboard | |
| Surface-level management | modern web interface based on Angular. |
2. System Installation & Provisioning | |
| Operating system installation & initial deployment | supports many Linux distributions (AlmaLinux, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Oracle Linux, RHEL, Rocky, SLES, Ubuntu coming soon). Support for bare metal and virtualization (Proxmox, vSphere, oVirt, RHEV) as well as installation methods (autoyast, kickstart, preseed) |
3. System Management | |
| Management of running systems | Templates, static/dynamic groups, VNC access, client attributes, search/filter functions |
4. Repository Management | |
| Management of Linux repositories & lifecycle stages | over 200 preconfigured Linux repositories, creation of custom repositories, lifecycles such as Develop → QA → Production, collection in collections |
5. Package, Patch & Errata Management | |
| Package and patch management including security information | Packages (RPM, DEB coming soon), errata and CVE information, patch planning and execution against hosts |
6. Configuration Management (Ansible-Integration) | |
| Automation & Infrastructure as Code | integrated Ansible support, online playbook editor, collection of Ansible facts, support for push/pull mechanisms |
7. IP Address Management (IPAM) with DNS & DHCP | |
| Network services during the deployment process/strong> | Subnet declaration, IP utilization, DNS entries (ISC Bind, Active Directory, Infoblox), DHCP entries (dnsmasq, ISC DHCP) during provisioning |
8. User & Role Management | |
| Rights management & access control | local or LDAP authentication, roles such as Reader, Editor, Manager, Admin |
9. Task Manager & Scheduler | |
| Task automation | central view of all tasks, Quartz-like scheduler with interval, cron syntax, etc. Tasks such as provisioning, patching, repository syncing |
UPTR™ and Kubernetes
Why Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is an open-source orchestration platform that automatically manages how container-based applications are deployed, scaled, updated and operated.
Kubernetes solves typical problems of modern IT and OT infrastructures fully automatically:
➜ Applications no longer run on a single server, but in many small containers.
➜ Systems are distributed across multiple data centers, clouds, or edge locations.
➜ Updates should be performed without downtime.
➜ Peak loads require automatic scaling.
➜ Security and standardization must be guaranteed.
Kubernetes ensures that modern software runs reliably—no matter how large, distributed or dynamic the infrastructure is.
Why UPTR™ and Kubernetes?
UPTR™ is the automation platform for IT/OT infrastructures that works before, alongside and without Kubernetes.
While large platforms like OpenShift or Rancher address the orchestration of Kubernetes clusters, UPTR™ automates the entire technical infrastructure that actually exists in industrial, logistics and critical infrastructure environments: heterogeneous systems, physical servers, edge devices, software versions, security, provisioning and lifecycle management.
UPTR™ closes the gap that all Kubernetes platforms leave open.
UPTR™ as the Missing Layer between classic infrastructure, OT, Edge and the modern container/AI world.
1. UPTR™ is not a Kubernetes manager – it's the manager for everything below and alongside Kubernetes
Kubernetes platforms only solve problems within the container world.
UPTR solves reality:
➜ Base Windows installations
➜ Linux images, drivers, firmware
➜ OT systems, PLC-related edge computing
➜ Software lifecycle across hundreds of applications
➜ Standardization across locations
➜ Deployment without cloud, without containers, without the internet
📌 UPTR™ is designed for companies with highly regulated, heterogeneous and mission-critical environments – not just cloud/container top layers.
2. UPTR™ complements Kubernetes platforms – instead of replacing them
OpenShift and similar platforms excel at:
➜ AI/GPU workloads
➜ Multi-cluster management
➜ Cloud-native platform operation
BUT they require that…
➜ the servers are properly provisioned
➜ the OS is correctly installed
➜ security policies are running in a standardized manner
➜ the runtime is compatible
➜ firmware/drivers are up to date
➜ edge hardware operates reliably
📌 UPTR™ automates precisely this – and makes Kubernetes possible in industrial environments in the first place. UPTR™ automates the foundation on which Rafay, OpenShift, or Kubermatic operate.
3. UPTR™ is optimized for IT/OT environments – no cloud-first mindset
Kubernetes platforms are built for cloud, data centers, and software teams.
UPTR™ is ideal for:
➜ Logistics centers
➜ Manufacturing
➜ Energy & Critical Infrastructure
➜ Transportation & Mobility
➜ Edge locations
➜ Plants with 500–10,000 physical nodes
➜ Mixed generations of hardware & systems
📌 UPTR™ excels where IT/OT reality is complex, disorganized, and difficult to automate.
4. UPTR™ manages not just containers – but the entire software lifecycle
from firmware → OS → base stack → middleware → application.
Other platforms manage: clusters, deployments, containers, GPUs
UPTR™ also manages:
➜ System installations
➜ Updates / Patching
➜ Dependencies
➜ Drivers / Firmware
➜ Configuration drift
➜ OT edge rollouts
➜ Mass deployment
➜ Legacy software packages
📌 UPTR™ is the infrastructure and software lifecycle orchestrator for industry and critical infrastructure.
The interaction of UPTR™ and Kubernetes across 4 Layers
1. Physical Infrastructure (IT + OT): UPTR™
➜ Servers
➜ Edge Devices
➜ Industrial PCs
➜ Controllers, IoT/OT Components
➜ Networks, Storage
➜ Firmware, BIOS, Drivers
📌 This area is fully automated and standardized by UPTR™.
2. Infrastructure Layer: UPTR™
UPTR™ handles:
➜ OS Installation & Imaging
➜ Firmware & Driver Management
➜ Baseline Software & Runtime Stacks
➜ Configuration & Compliance
➜ Rollouts & Updates
➜ Lifecycle Management
➜ Infrastructure Standardization Across Sites
📌 UPTR™ provides the stable, secure, and auditable foundation upon which Kubernetes can reliably run – especially in IT/OT environments.
3. Orchestration Layer: Kubernetes
Kubernetes handles:
➜ Container Orchestration
➜ AI/ML Workloads (GPU/CPU Scheduling)
➜ Microservices
➜ Deployment, Scaling, Self-Healing
➜ Application Isolation & Service Mesh
📌 Kubernetes leverages a clean, standardized infrastructure that UPTR™ automatically deploys and maintains.
4. Application & Service Layers: UPTR™ + Kubernetes
➜ AI/ML Models
➜ Logistics & Industrial Applications
➜ SCADA Microservices
➜ OT Gateways (MQTT, OPC UA)
➜ Business Apps
➜ Edge Inference & Data Processing
➜ Monitoring/Security Tools
📌 All applications benefit directly from UPTR™ + Kubernetes because the environment is stable, scalable and secure.
Top Use Cases: UPTR™ + Kubernetes
1. Standardized IT/OT Infrastructure as a Foundation for Kubernetes
🔍 Use Case: A clean baseline for all Kubernetes clusters in the company.
📌 Problem:
Industrial and logistics sites have heterogeneous hardware, different OS versions, outdated firmware and manual installations.
UPTR™ handles:
➜ Automated OS installation
➜ Firmware/driver updates
➜ Standardization across all sites
➜ Secure baseline configurations
Benefit for Kubernetes:
➜ Stable, reproducible operation without manual preparation
➜ Reliable cluster operation → fewer outages
2. Mass Deployment of Edge Kubernetes in Production & Logistics
🔍 Use Case: Automated deployment of an edge Kubernetes environment across 40 logistics sites.
📌 Problem:
Edge Kubernetes is complex – especially in distributed OT environments.
UPTR™ handles:
➜ Automated rollout of edge images for 10 / 100 / 1000 devices
➜ Hardware lifecycle management
➜ Zero-touch provisioning
➜ Rollback in case of errors
Kubernetes handles:
➜ Container orchestration
➜ AI/ML inference
➜ Data processing at the edge
3. Secure, auditable updates for infrastructure and containers
🔍 Use Case: End-to-end update pipeline: from BIOS to AI model – fully automated.
📌 Problem: Critical infrastructure and industry require documented, secure updates. Kubernetes can only update containers – not the underlying infrastructure.
UPTR™ handles:
➜ Automated, auditable OS patches
➜ Firmware & security updates
➜ Versioning & compliance checks
Kubernetes handles:
➜ Rolling updates for microservices & AI models
4. AI/ML Deployment in OT Environments
🔍 Use Case: Camera-based quality inspection in production – fully automated from hardware to AI inference.
📌 Problem:
AI/ML requires clean, high-performance infrastructure and orchestrated AI workloads.
UPTR™ handles:
➜ clean provisioning of GPU/edge hardware
➜ automated drivers and CUDA/ML base stacks
➜ standardized ML workstation images
Kubernetes handles:
➜ distributed training
➜ Model deployment (inference)
➜ Scaling and fault tolerance
5. Modernizing SCADA and OT Gateways
🔍 Use Case: Migrating an OT gateway to modern Kubernetes edge services without production risk.
📌 Problem:
OT systems often have legacy software, different versions, and manual rollouts.
UPTR™ handles:
➜ Provisioning of OT gateways (OS, drivers, certificates)
➜ Automated installation of field software
➜ Secure updates without production downtime
Kubernetes handles:
➜ Containerized SCADA microservices
➜ Data buffering & routing
➜ Event processing
6. Multi-cluster operations in hybrid IT/OT environments
🔍 Use Case: Unified operating platform across cloud, data center, and 100 edge locations.
📌 Problem:
A company operates a variety of locations: data center + factories + logistics + edge.