Kube 4 the Edge

Introducing first blog in the series of Kubernetes at Edge implementation.

By: Shrikant S. and Brian L.

May 28, 2021

If you would like to watch a video introduction of this technology, please view the link below to our YouTube published 10 minute overview – THEN the install docs are listed below here for your benefit.

There are multiple topologies that can be leveraged as you start evaluating and architecting edge deployments. А ROBO SDDC supports two deployment models – centralized & decentralized.

In the centralized model, you manage the ROBO sites from a central hub. In the decentralized model, you manage each ROBO site locally.

In this writeup, we will focus on the decentralized model, where a witness is deployed at a remote location and at edge location there is a data center with vCenter Server, AD, DHCP, Management cluster & Tanzu Kubernetes clusters.

# Design topology

# Hardware resources:

Host to deploy Witness appliance at remote site

2 Hosts for configuring vSAN cluster at edge site

# Networking Requirements:

Routable network between remote site & edge site

Routable IPs at edge site for management components, management cluster & workload cluster

# Supporting infra at edge site

DHCP – and define DHCP range

# Software Resources:

Component	Version
Witness appliance	VMware-VirtualSAN-Witness-7.0.0-15843807.ova
vCenter Server Appliance	v7.0.2 Build 17920168
vSphere ESXi	v7.0.2 Build 17867351
Bootstrap VM	# ubuntu-18.04.5-desktop-amd64 Desktop version # kubectl-linux-v1.20.5-vmware.1.gz # tanzu-cli-bundle-v1.3.1-linux-amd64.tar
TKG 1.3.1 bits	ubuntu-2004-kube-v1.20.5-vmware.1-tkg.1-16555584836258482890.ova

# Configuration steps:

It is assumed that user should refer guides for detailed installation steps. Here we have given high level directions.

# Install witness appliance at the remote site

Refer https://core.vmware.com/resource/vsan-2-node-cluster-guide#section8

# Add witness as a host in the edge site (It can be identified by blue picture)

# Configure vSAN 2-node cluster using the witness added as a host on the 2 hosts present in the cluster

Refer https://core.vmware.com/resource/vsan-2-node-cluster-guide#sec9-sub6

# Configure bootstrap VM

We will be using ubuntu vm with desktop version as I had deployed management cluster using the installer interface.

Refer https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Kubernetes-Grid/1.3/vmware-tanzu-kubernetes-grid-13/GUID-install-cli.html

# Check prerequisites to deploy management cluster to vSphere using installer interface

Refer https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Kubernetes-Grid/1.3/vmware-tanzu-kubernetes-grid-13/GUID-mgmt-clusters-vsphere.html

# Deploy management cluster using installer interface

Refer : https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Kubernetes-Grid/1.3/vmware-tanzu-kubernetes-grid-13/GUID-mgmt-clusters-deploy-ui.html

# Check prerequisites to deploy Tanzu Kubernetes cluster to vSphere

Mention these parameters properly as per your environment in the .yaml file

CLUSTER_NAME, VSPHERE_CONTROL_PLANE_ENDPOINT, VSPHERE_DATACENTER, VSPHERE_DATASTORE, VSPHERE_FOLDER, VSPHERE_NETWORK, VSPHERE_RESOURCE_POOL

# Deploy Tanzu Kubernetes Cluster

Refer: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Kubernetes-Grid/1.3/vmware-tanzu-kubernetes-grid-13/GUID-tanzu-k8s-clusters-deploy.html

# We can attach Tanzu Kubernetes cluster, register management cluster & add Tanzu Kubernetes cluster into TMC to explore management & other functions provided by TMC.

# Attach the Tanzu Kubernetes cluster in TMC

Refer https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tanzu-Mission-Control/services/tanzumc-using/GUID-6DF2CE3E-DD07-499B-BC5E-6B3B2E02A070.html