The Just-In-Time Revolution: On-Demand Infra & Access

What is Just-In-Time (JIT) and How Does It Relate to Platform Engineering?

The Just-In-Time (JIT) concept originates from manufacturing and logistics, where resources are provided only when needed, instead of maintaining large inventories.

In Platform Engineering, this principle applies in two key areas:

1. Cloud infrastructure management — dynamically provisioning and decommissioning cloud resources as needed.
2. Self-service and access management — granting developers temporary access to systems on demand rather than providing permanent permissions.

How Does JIT Change the Way We Think About Infrastructure?

🔹 Traditional approach: Cloud infrastructure was provisioned with fixed capacity, leading to wasted resources or unexpected shortages.

🔹 JIT approach: Resources are automatically provisioned and decommissioned based on demand, ensuring efficiency:

✅ Infrastructure adapts in real-time to workload requirements.

✅ Developers get exactly what they need, exactly when they need it — nothing more, nothing less.

✅ Cloud costs are reduced by eliminating idle resources.

Example 1: How Karpenter Implements Just-In-Time for Cloud Infrastructure

Karpenter is a Kubernetes-native provisioning tool that embodies the JIT philosophy:

✅ Instead of maintaining a fixed set of nodes, it provisions them on-demand only when needed.

✅ When workloads decrease, it automatically removes excess resources, optimizing costs.

✅ No need to predefine instance types, as Karpenter selects the most efficient instance dynamically.

Source: aws.amazon.com

Example 2: Just-In-Time Access Management (JIT Access)

Traditionally, developers were granted permanent, broad access to critical systems, posing a security risk. JIT access management enables on-demand access, for example:

🔹 A developer needs access to a sensitive database? They submit a request via an Identity Provider (IDP) (such as Okta or AWS IAM).

🔹 The system automatically grants temporary access, e.g., for 30 minutes.

🔹 Once the time expires, the access is revoked, preventing unnecessary permissions.

✅ Reduces the risk of unauthorized access by eliminating persistent permissions.

✅ Minimizes manual intervention by IT teams.

✅ Enables developers to work efficiently without unnecessary delays.

Source: Entitle.io

How Does JIT Support Platform Culture?

• Empowers developers — they get the resources and permissions they need without waiting for manual approvals.
• Enhances security — no excessive or long-term permissions, reducing risks.
• Optimizes cloud costs — only the resources needed at a given time are provisioned.
• Simplifies operations — everything happens automatically, reducing manual overhead.

🚀 How to Start Implementing JIT in Your Platform?

1. Identify where cloud resources are being wasted or where permanent access permissions exist unnecessarily.
2. Implement tools like Karpenter for JIT infrastructure and IDP solutions for temporary access management.
3. Automate workflows to provide resources and permissions only when required.
4. Foster a Just-In-Time culture — where everything is available, but only to the right people, at the right time.

Just-In-Time is not just a technical improvement — it’s a mindset shift towards building smarter, more secure, and more efficient platforms. 🔍 Learn more at: https://Senora.dev