Installing Connectware (Kubernetes)

Install Connectware on a Kubernetes cluster using Helm.

This guide walks you through installing Connectware on a Kubernetes cluster using Helm charts. The installation process includes configuring your Helm repository, customizing deployment settings in a values.yaml file, and verifying the installation.

Prerequisites

Before installing Connectware, make sure to meet the following requirements:

• Connectware license key is available.

• Helm version 3 is installed on your system.

• kubectl is installed on your system.

• A Kubernetes cluster that meets the cluster requirements.

• A chosen Kubernetes namespace for the installation (e.g., cybus).

• A chosen installation name (e.g., connectware).

Throughout this guide, command examples use variables like ${NAMESPACE}, ${INSTALLATION_NAME}, and ${REPO_NAME}. Replace these with your actual values. For example, replace ${NAMESPACE} with cybus if that is your chosen namespace.

Overview of the Installation Process

To install Connectware on Kubernetes, you must complete the following steps:

1. Add the Helm chart repository.

2. Create a values.yaml file.

3. Install Connectware.

4. Verify the installation.

5. Log into Connectware for the first time.

Adding the Helm Chart Repository

• To use the Connectware Helm chart repository, add it to your system. This guide uses cybus as the repository name.

Example

helm repo add ${REPO_NAME} https://repository.cybus.io/repository/connectware-helm

Configuring the values.yaml File

The values.yaml file configures your Connectware deployment through Helm. Use it to customize deployment parameters, manage resources, and configure version settings.

This guide focuses on basic Kubernetes configuration and commonly used parameters.

We recommend that you store the values.yaml file in a version control system.

Creating a Copy of the Default values.yaml File

A Helm chart includes default configuration values. We recommend creating a copy of the default values.yaml file named default-values.yaml for reference, and a new empty values.yaml file for your customizations.

• Extract the default values and store them in default-values.yaml via the following command:

Example

helm show values cybus/connectware > default-values.yaml

Creating a values.yaml File

After creating the default-values.yaml file, create an empty values.yaml file for your custom configuration.

• Create and open the file with your preferred editor via the following command. This example uses vi. Substitute with your preferred editor:

Example

vi values.yaml

Specifying the License Key

A valid license key is required to install Connectware.

• In the values.yaml file, add your license key to the Helm value global.licensekey:

Example

global:
  licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value

Specifying the Broker Cluster Secret

You must specify a secret for your broker cluster. This secret secures your broker cluster.

Treat the broker cluster secret with the same care as a password and store it securely.

• 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 new Connectware installations, we recommend that you set best-practice labels on immutable workload objects like StatefulSet volumes.

• In the values.yaml file, set global.setImmutableLabels to true:

Example

global:
  licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
  broker:
    clusterSecret: Uhoo:RahShie6goh # example value
  setImmutableLabels: true

Configuring DNS Names in Helm Values

If you are replacing the external Connectware CA certificate chain and manage cybus_server.crt manually, ensure that any DNS name with which you address Connectware or individual components is included. You can skip adding them to global.ingressDNSNames.

To enable external agents to connect to the Connectware Control Plane, you must configure the global.ingressDNSNames through Helm values. This setting defines the hostnames that will be included in the Connectware server certificate's (cybus_server.crt) Subject Alternative Names (SAN) section.

• Set the global.ingressDNSNames list in your Helm values to include all hostnames used for Connectware access.

Example

If the hostname on which Connectware is running is named company.io, set the Helm value to:

global:
  ingressDNSNames:
    - company.io

Hostname Formats

You can include multiple hostnames in the list. The certificate will include all specified names in its SAN section.

The configuration accepts various hostname formats:

• Wildcards (e.g., *.company.io)

• Subdomains (e.g., connectware.company.io)

• Custom hostnames (e.g., localhost)

Example

global:
  ingressDNSNames:
    - company.io
    - localhost
    - *.company.io
    - connectware.company.io
    - 192.168.100.42

Specifying the NATS Streaming Server Cluster Replica Count (Optional)

By default, Connectware uses three nodes for the control connection NATS streaming server cluster that is used for inter-service communication.

You may configure an odd number of nodes to suit your environment:

• Increase the replica count (e.g., 5) to improve redundancy. With 5 nodes, the redundancy factor increases from N+1 to N+2.

• Reduce the replica count (e.g., 1) for lightweight test environments. Note that a single-node setup provides no redundancy.

• Typical production configurations are 3 (default) or 5 nodes.

The replicas value is essential for the cluster configuration of the stream server and is shared across many Connectware components.

This setting can only be defined during the initial installation of Connectware and cannot be modified afterward. Do not attempt to scale the nats StatefulSet.

• In the values.yaml file, specify the number of NATS nodes in the Helm value global.nats.replicas.

Example

global:
  licensekey: cY9HiVZJs8aJHG1NVOiAcrqC_ # example value
  nats:
    replicas: 5
  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

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

See also

• Quality of service for pods (Kubernetes documentation)

• Kubernetes resource management (Kubernetes documentation)

• Quantities (Kubernetes documentation)

Installing Connectware

Once you've configured your values.yaml file, deploy Connectware to your Kubernetes cluster.

• Run the following command, specifying your installation name and target namespace:

Example

helm install ${INSTALLATION_NAME} cybus/connectware -f ./values.yaml -n ${NAMESPACE} --create-namespace

Result: Connectware deploys to your cluster according to your kubectl configuration.

Verifying the Connectware Installation

Monitor the Connectware installation progress to ensure everything runs smoothly and identify any potential issues.

Monitoring the Installation Progress

The installation typically takes a few minutes. Choose one of these monitoring options:

• 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. This command refreshes every 5 seconds to reflect the current status:

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 Installation

During the Connectware installation, pods progress through these stages:

• Pending

• PodInitializing

• ContainerCreating

• Init:x/x

• Running

When pods reach Running status, they complete their startup process before reporting as ready. All pods must reach Running status with all containers ready. This is shown when the READY column displays matching numbers (e.g., 1/1).

Example

kubectl get pod -n ${NAMESPACE}

NAME	READY	STATUS	RESTARTS	AGE
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

Result: When all pods show Running status with matching READY values, Connectware is installed and started. You can now access the Admin UI for additional configuration or verification.

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 ${PODNAME} -n ${NAMESPACE}

For help on solving issues, see Troubleshooting Connectware on Kubernetes.

Logging Into Connectware for the First Time

Access the 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.

1. Check if your load balancer provider has connected to your Connectware service via the following command:

kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} get svc/connectware

1. Depending on the result, do one of the following:

   1. If your IP address or hostname is displayed in the EXTERNAL-IP column, you can access the Admin UI through it.

   2. If no load balancer provider is available in your cluster, you can add an external load balancer.

2. 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

1. Access the Admin UI at https://localhost:10443. Connectware uses its own PKI infrastructure by default.

2. Accept the certificate warning in your browser.

3. Log in with the default credentials:

   • Username: admin

   • Password: admin

Immediately change the default username and password after your first login.

1. To change the username and password, see Changing Usernames and Changing User Passwords.

2. Navigate to System > Status and verify all components show Running status.

Result: Your Connectware installation is ready to use.

For more information about LoadBalancer services, see LoadBalancer (Kubernetes documentation).