In the midst of winter, while many resolutions may fade, at Element we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence. In our latest ESS release (24.02), we've been laser-focused on improving our installation process for customers who self-host their servers. Below we unveil the latest updates and stories from behind the scenes.
Server-side improvements: security and quality assurance
Our mission is to deliver a seamless, bug-free experience. This month, we've landed a lot of fixes to make Element Server Suite significantly easier to install and take it to new heights. In the realm of security, we've taken significant strides to protect user data and privacy. Our Operator and Updater images are now signed using cosign, adding an extra layer of defence. Security first!
Quality is at our core and we're always working to ensure a smooth and stable experience. We've fixed issues related to GroupSync scopes and addressed an issue encountered when upgrading from our Starter edition to our Enterprise edition of ESS. Furthermore, the Synapse bootstrap has been enhanced to prevent module-induced crashes which occasionally happened during the initial setup.
The Installer is a crucial tool which enables self-hosters to deploy servers into their own IT infrastructure, and we're working to make it more reliable and user-friendly. We've rectified an error that hindered functionality due to cert manager schema conflicts.
Efficiency gains under the hood
While our fully hosted solution offers a hassle-free experience, we understand the significance of self-hosting for those seeking complete digital sovereignty. This year, we've made significant strides to support our self-hosting customers by introducing server profiles and improving the Installer to streamline the setup process. We've implemented changes to reduce the default resource requests across components, resulting in an overall leaner and faster system. Hosting your own instance of ESS now only requires 2CPU, 3GB of memory and 4GB of storage - this significantly lowers the barrier to entry for our new customers.
The CRD (Custom Resource Definitions, which extend Kubernetes APIs to include custom resources) conversion webhook now has its own dedicated deployment, ensuring smoother upgrades and compatibility with external CRD installations. Also, the order in which components are deployed has been optimised to prioritise core functionality during updates.
On our journey for continuous improvement, we've rebuilt the Operator and Updater using distroless containers. This transformation reduces image sizes and massively simplifies the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), leading to greater efficiency and security. As you can see, many incremental improvements quickly add up.
Journeying into the future of communication
We begin 2024 with ambitious plans to enhance our offerings and double down on innovation. We're ready to propel Element Server Suite to even greater heights. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and developments in the months to come.
Get in touch to join us on this extraordinary journey as we continue to redefine the boundaries of communication and collaboration. The future of Element is bright, and we can't wait to share it with you.
