Installing Connectware (Kubernetes)
To install Connectware on Kubernetes, you must complete the following tasks:
Add the Helm chart repository.
Create a values.yaml file.
Install Connectware.
Verify the installation.
Log in for the first time.
Prerequisites
Before you start with the Connectware installation, make sure that you meet the following prerequisites:
You have a valid license key.
Helm version 3 is installed on your system.
The Kubernetes command line tool kubectl is configured and has access to the target installation.
Your Kubernetes cluster fulfills the cluster requirements.
You have chosen a Kubernetes namespace as target for your installation (e.g.
cybus
).You have chosen a name for your installation (e.g.
connectware
).
Adding the Helm Chart Repository
To use the Connectware Helm chart, add the Connectware Helm chart repository.
Example
helm repo add <local-repo> https://repository.cybus.io/repository/connectware-helm
Configuring the values.yaml File
The values.yaml file is the configuration file for an application that is deployed through Helm. The values.yaml file allows you to configure your Connectware installation. For example, edit deployment parameters, manage resources, and update your Connectware to a new version.
In this documentation, we will focus on a basic Kubernetes configuration and commonly used parameters.
Creating a Copy of the Default values.yaml File
A Helm chart contains a default configuration. It is likely that you only need to customize some of the configuration parameters. We recommend that you create a copy of the default values.yaml file named default-values.yaml and a new, empty values.yaml file to customize specific parameters.
Enter the following code to extract the default values and store them in a file named default-values.yaml.
Example
helm show values cybus/connectware > default-values.yaml
Creating a values.yaml File
When you have created the default-values.yaml file, you can create the values.yaml file to add your custom configuration parameters.
Enter the following code. Substitute the editor vi with your preferred editor.
Example
vi values.yaml
Specifying the License Key
To install Connectware, you need a valid license key.
In the values.yaml file, specify the license key in the Helm value
global.licenseKey
.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
Specifying the Broker Cluster Secret
You must specify a secret for the broker cluster. The cluster secret value is used to secure your broker cluster, just like a password.
Treat the broker cluster secret with the same level of care as a password.
In the values.yaml file, specify the broker cluster secret in the Helm value
global.broker.clusterSecret
.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
broker:
clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
Allowing Immutable Labels
For a fresh Connectware installation, we recommend that you set best-practice labels on immutable workload objects like StatefulSet volumes.
In the values.yaml file, set the Helm value
global.setImmutableLabels
totrue
.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
broker:
clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
setImmutableLabels: true
Specifying the Broker Cluster Replica Count (Optional)
By default, Connectware uses three nodes for the broker cluster that moves data. You can specify a custom number of broker nodes. For example, increase the broker nodes to handle higher data loads or decrease the broker nodes for a testing environment.
In the values.yaml file, specify the number of broker nodes in the Helm value
global.broker.replicaCount
.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
broker:
clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
replicaCount: 5
setImmutableLabels: true
clusterSecret: ahciaruighai_t2G # example value
Activating a Separate control-plane Broker (Optional)
By default, Connectware uses the same broker for data payload processing and control-plane communication. You can use a separate control-plane broker. This might be useful for production environments, as it provides higher resilience and better manageability in cases of the data broker becomes slow to respond due to high load.
In the values.yaml file, set the Helm value
global.controlPlaneBroker.enabled
totrue
.Specify a broker cluster secret in the Helm value
global.controlPlaneBroker.clusterSecret
.
Important: Treat the broker cluster secret with the same level of care as a password.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
broker:
clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
setImmutableLabels: true
controlPlaneBroker:
enabled: true
clusterSecret: ahciaruighai_t2G # example value
Specifying Which StorageClass Connectware Should Use (Optional)
A broker cluster can contain several Kubernetes StorageClasses. You can specify which StorageClass Connectware should use.
In the values.yaml file, specify the StorageClass in the Helm value
global.storage.storageClassName
.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
broker:
clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
setImmutableLabels: true
storage:
storageClassName: gp2 # example value
There are several configuration parameters to control the StorageClass of each volume that Connectware uses.
Specifying CPU and Memory Resources (Optional)
By default, Connectware is configured for high-performance systems and according to the guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) class. However, you can use the Kubernetes resource management values requests and limits to specify the CPU and memory resources that Connectware is allowed to use.
Adjusting CPU and memory resources can impact the performance and availability of Connectware. When you customize the settings for CPU and memory resources, make sure that you monitor the performance and make adjustments if necessary.
In the values.yaml file, specify the CPU and memory limits and requests in the Helm value global.podResources. Specify the limits and requests as Kubernetes quantities.
You can use the default values shipped with Connectware as a starting point. You can find these in your default-values.yaml file you created earlier.
Example
global:
licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
broker:
clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
setImmutableLabels: true
podResources:
distributedProtocolMapper:
limits:
cpu: 2000m
memory: 3000Mi
requests:
cpu: 1500m
memory: 1500Mi
Related Links
Starting the Connectware installation
When you are done customizing your installation through your Helm values, you can deploy Connectware onto your Kubernetes cluster.
Enter the following command:
helm install
Specify the installation name. For example,
connectware
.Specify the target namespace. For example,
cybus
.
Example
helm install <installation-name> cybus/connectware -f ./values.yaml -n <namespace> --create-namespace
This deploys Connectware according to your kubectl configuration.
Verifying the Connectware installation
You can monitor the Connectware installation progress to verify that everything runs smoothly, to know when the installation is successful, or to investigate potential issues.
Monitoring the Connectware installation progress
The Connectware installation can take a few minutes. To monitor the installation process, do one of the following:
To monitor the current status of the installation process, enter the following command:
kubectl get pods -n <namespace>
To monitor the continuous progress of the installation process, enter the following command:
while [ True ]; do clear; kubectl get pod -n <namespace>; sleep 5; done
To stop monitoring the continuous progress of the installation process , press Ctrl+C.
Pod stages during the Connectware installation
During the Connectware installation, the pods go through the following stages:
Pending
PodInitializing
ContainerCreating
Init:x/x
Running
When pods reach the STATUS Running, they go through their individual startup before reporting as Ready. To be fully functional, all pods must reach the STATUS Running and report all their containers as ready. This is indicated by them showing the same number on both sides of the / in the column READY.
Example
$ kubectl get pod -n <namespace>
admin-web-app-7cd8ccfbc5-bvnzx
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
auth-server-5b8c899958-f9nl4
1/1
Running
0
3m3s
broker-0
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
broker-1
1/1
Running
0
2m1s
connectware-7784b5f4c5-g8krn
1/1
Running
0
21s
container-manager-558d9c4cbf-m82bz
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
ingress-controller-6bcf66495c-l5dpk
1/1
Running
0
18s
postgresql-0
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
protocol-mapper-67cfc6c848-qqtx9
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
service-manager-f68ccb767-cftps
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
system-control-server-58f47c69bf-plzt5
1/1
Running
0
3h44m
workbench-5c69654659-qwhgc
1/1
Running
0
15s
At this point Connectware is installed and started. You can now make additional configurations or verify the installation status in the Connectware Admin UI.
Troubleshooting pod stages
If a pod is in another state than expected or if it is stuck at a certain stage for more than three minutes, there might be an issue.
To investigate the pod status, enter the following command:
kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
For help on solving issues, see Troubleshooting Connectware on Kubernetes.
Logging into Connectware for the First Time
You can access the Connectware Admin UI through the Kubernetes LoadBalancer Service. In your new Connectware installation, the LoadBalancer is named connectware
. How to access the LoadBalancer depends on which LoadBalancer provider your cluster offers.
To check if your load balancer provider has connected to the connectware service, enter the following command:
Kubectl -n <namespace> get svc/connectware
Depending on the result, do one of the following:
If your IP address or hostname is displayed in the EXTERNAL-IP column, you can access the Connectware Admin UI through it.
If no load balancer provider is available in your cluster, you can add an external load balancer.
To verify that the installation was successful, enter the following command to forward the service to your local machine through kubectl:
Kubectl -n <namespace> port-forward svc/connectware 10443:443
Enter https://localhost:10443 to access the Connectware Admin UI. By default, Connectware rolls out its own PKI infrastructure.
Confirm the certificate warning in your browser.
Login with the following default credentials:
Username:
admin
Password:
admin
Important: After you log in for the first time, immediately change the username and password.
Click Change Password and change the default credentials.
Select System > Status and verify that all components have the status Running.
Result: Your Connectware on Kubernetes installation is now ready.
Related Links
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