Complete ERP System on Odoo with On-Premise Kubernetes Infrastructure
Enterprise Service Bus & Container Orchestration for a major German DIY retail chain subsidiary
Project Gallery
Retail ERP Platform
Retail distribution center with ERP and inventory management systems
The Challenge
Custom ERP System with Complex Integration into the DIY retail group's infrastructure
The DIY retail subsidiary required a completely new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to handle specialized business processes (consignment sales, warehouse sales, self-marketed import goods) that could not be mapped cleanly into the parent group's standard systems. The challenge was to build a custom Odoo-based solution that bridges warehouse operations and the DIY retail group systems while modernizing the entire company infrastructure to Kubernetes.
Business processes didn't fit the DIY retail group's existing system architecture
Complex synchronization requirements (product data, orders, inventory, bookings)
Integration with multiple data sources via different protocols (SOAP, XML, MQ)
Complete infrastructure transformation needed from VMs to Kubernetes
Integration with both the DIY retail group's Active Directory and the subsidiary's own AD
Complex access control requirements with granular permissions
On-premise Kubernetes deployment with network-level environment separation
The Solution
Odoo-Based ERP with ESB Integration on On-Premise Kubernetes
I architected and implemented a complete custom ERP solution based on Odoo OSS combined with an Enterprise Service Bus for complex integrations. Odoo was used not just as a classic ERP, but as an open-source order and shipment control center: it collects customer orders, tracks shipment and fulfillment state end-to-end, and merges updates from customer portals, internal operations and logistics partners into a single source of truth. Most flows run fully automated via the ESB; when exceptions occur, operations teams can correct data directly in Odoo. The entire infrastructure was containerized and deployed on a self-managed on-premise Kubernetes cluster with sophisticated network isolation and authentication via Keycloak integrated with multiple Active Directories.
Odoo ERP Platform
Custom ERP system based on Odoo OSS serving as the central hub between warehouse and DIY retail group systems: captures customer orders, tracks shipment and fulfillment state, and merges updates from customer, internal and logistics systems into a single order record in Odoo; largely automated, with simple manual correction via the Odoo UI when needed
Enterprise Service Bus
ESB with Apache Camel addressing diverse data sources, transforming via services or XSLT across SOAP, XML, Kafka, and ActiveMQ
On-Premise Kubernetes
Self-managed Kubernetes 1.14 cluster on RHEL with complete containerization of all services and interfaces
Network Isolation
Calico RBAC-based network separation creating isolated test and production virtual networks on physical cluster
Authentication Layer
Keycloak integrated with the DIY retail group's Active Directory and the subsidiary's own AD, supporting both group users and technical users with specific access rights
Scheduled Containers
Specialized scheduled containers for tasks like product synchronization and automated backups
Critical Challenges
Key technical hurdles and how they were overcome
Complete Infrastructure Modernization Without Disruption
Problem
The DIY retail subsidiary needed to transform its entire infrastructure from traditional ESX virtual machines to modern containerized Kubernetes while maintaining 100% uptime for critical business operations. The legacy VM-based architecture was inflexible, expensive to maintain, and incompatible with modern DevOps practices.
Solution
Architected and deployed a complete on-premise Kubernetes 1.14 cluster on RHEL from scratch. Implemented gradual migration strategy with parallel operation of old and new systems. Built comprehensive CI/CD pipeline with Jenkins OSS for automated deployments. Created network-level isolation using Calico RBAC to separate test and production environments on the same physical cluster.
Migrated entire company infrastructure from VMs to Kubernetes over a weekend without a single minute of downtime or lost transaction.
Impact
Achieved 100% containerization of all services and interfaces. Deployment automation reached 95%, transforming multi-hour manual procedures into push-button releases. Infrastructure now future-proof and hybrid-cloud ready with OpenShift 4 foundation.
Multi-Protocol Enterprise Service Bus Integration
Problem
Complex integration requirements with DIY retail group systems and warehouse operations using incompatible protocols (SOAP, XML, Kafka, ActiveMQ). Each data source had different formats, authentication methods, and communication patterns. Traditional point-to-point integrations would create unmaintainable spaghetti architecture.
Solution
Built comprehensive Enterprise Service Bus using Apache Camel to unify all data sources. Implemented XSLT transformations for data format conversions. Created unified authentication layer via Keycloak with dual Active Directory integration (DIY retail group AD + own AD). Designed scheduled containers for automated synchronization tasks (products, orders, inventory, bookings).
First successful end-to-end order flow from warehouse through ESB to DIY retail group systems – decades of incompatible systems finally speaking the same language.
Impact
Seamless integration of warehouse and DIY retail group systems despite protocol heterogeneity. Single authentication layer supporting both group employees and technical service accounts. Automated synchronization eliminated manual data reconciliation.
Business Impact
Measurable value delivered to the business
Deployment Efficiency
Manual release procedures transformed into automated CI/CD pipeline, reducing deployment time from hours to minutes
Infrastructure Modernization
Complete migration from legacy ESX VMs to cloud-native Kubernetes architecture
Operational Complexity Reduction
Automated synchronization, scheduled jobs, and CI/CD eliminated manual operational overhead
Business Process Enablement
Custom Odoo platform supporting consignment sales, warehouse operations, and import goods incompatible with the DIY retail group's standard systems
Innovations
Groundbreaking solutions that set new standards
On-Premise Kubernetes with Network-Level Isolation
Self-managed Kubernetes 1.14 cluster on RHEL with Calico RBAC creating isolated virtual test and production networks on single physical infrastructure
Achieved logical environment separation without hardware duplication - unprecedented efficiency for on-premise deployments
Impact: Reduced infrastructure costs while improving isolation and security. Foundation for hybrid cloud strategy.
Dual Active Directory Keycloak Integration
Unified authentication layer connecting both the DIY retail group's enterprise Active Directory and the subsidiary's own AD with granular permission management
Seamless single sign-on across organizational boundaries with technical user support – solving the 'federated enterprise' authentication challenge
Impact: Employees of the DIY retail group and subsidiary staff use the same ERP with appropriate access controls. Technical services authenticate without manual credential management.
Multi-Protocol Enterprise Service Bus
Apache Camel-based ESB unifying SOAP, XML, Kafka, and ActiveMQ with XSLT transformations for data format conversion
Protocol-agnostic integration layer eliminating point-to-point spaghetti while supporting legacy and modern systems simultaneously
Impact: Warehouse systems, the DIY retail group's infrastructure, and ERP communicate seamlessly despite completely incompatible protocols and data formats.
Custom Odoo ERP for Specialized Retail Operations
Open-source Odoo platform customized for consignment sales, warehouse operations, and self-marketed import goods that were incompatible with the DIY retail group's standard ERP
Solved the 'square peg, round hole' problem - custom solution for unique business processes vs. forcing fit into standard systems
Impact: Enabled business operations that could not exist within the standard group architecture. Perfect bridge between warehouse autonomy and DIY retail group integration.
"The custom Odoo ERP solution solved our unique business process challenges that could not fit into the DIY retail group's standard systems. The complete infrastructure transformation to Kubernetes positioned us for a cloud-native future."
Technologies Used
core
erp
integration
messaging
infrastructure
database
authentication
devops
monitoring
tools
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