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Version: 3.18 (latest)

Create a Calico Enterprise management cluster

Big picture​

Create a Calico Enterprise management cluster to manage multiple clusters from a single management plane using Helm 3.

Value​

Helm charts are a way to package up an application for Kubernetes (similar to apt or yum for operating systems). Helm is also used by tools like ArgoCD to manage applications in a cluster, taking care of install, upgrade (and rollback if needed), etc.

Before you begin​

Required

Concepts​

Operator-based installation​

In this guide, you install the Tigera Calico operator and custom resource definitions using the Helm 3 chart. The Tigera operator provides lifecycle management for Calico Enterprise exposed via the Kubernetes API defined as a custom resource definition.

How to​

Get the Helm chart​

curl -O -L https://downloads.tigera.io/ee/charts/tigera-operator-v3.18.3-0.tgz

Customize the Helm chart​

If you are installing on a cluster installed by EKS, GKE, AKS or Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE), or you need to customize TLS certificates, you must customize this Helm chart by creating a values.yaml file. Otherwise, you can skip this step.

  1. If you are installing on a cluster installed by EKS, GKE, AKS or Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE), set the kubernetesProvider as described in the Installation reference. For example:

    echo 'installation: { kubernetesProvider: EKS }' > values.yaml

    For Azure AKS cluster with no Kubernetes CNI pre-installed, create values.yaml with the following command:

    cat > values.yaml <<EOF
    installation:
      kubernetesProvider: AKS
      cni:
        type: Calico
      calicoNetwork:
        bgp: Disabled
        ipPools:
        - cidr: 10.244.0.0/16
          encapsulation: VXLAN
    EOF

  2. Add any other customizations you require to values.yaml. To see values that can be customized in the chart run the following command:

    helm show values ./tigera-operator-v3.18.3-0.tgz

Install Calico Enterprise​

To install a Calico Enterprise management cluster with Helm, using a NodePort service:

  1. Configure a storage class for Calico Enterprise.

  2. Export the service node port number

    export EXT_SERVICE_NODE_PORT=30449

    Export the public address or host of the management cluster. (Ex. "example.com:1234" or "10.0.0.10:1234".)

    export MANAGEMENT_CLUSTER_ADDR=<your-management-cluster-addr>:$EXT_SERVICE_NODE_PORT

  3. Export one or more managed clusters.

    Generate the base64 encoded CRT and KEY for a managed cluster:

    openssl genrsa 2048 | base64 -w 0 > my-managed-cluster.key.base64
    openssl req -new -key <(base64 -d my-managed-cluster.key.base64) -subj "/CN=my-managed-cluster" | \
    openssl x509 -req -signkey <(base64 -d my-managed-cluster.key.base64) -days 365 | base64 -w 0 > my-managed-cluster.crt.base64

    Export the managed cluster variables:

    export MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME=my-managed-cluster
    export MANAGED_CLUSTER_OPERATOR_NAMESPACE=tigera-operator
    export MANAGED_CLUSTER_CERTIFICATE=$(cat my-managed-cluster.crt.base64)

  4. Append the management cluster context to your values.yaml:

    echo "
    managementCluster:
      enabled: true
      address: $MANAGEMENT_CLUSTER_ADDR
      service:
        enabled: true
        annotations:
        type: NodePort
        port: 9449
        targetPort: 9449
        protocol: TCP
        nodePort: $EXT_SERVICE_NODE_PORT

    managedClusters:
      enabled: true
      clusters:
      - name: $MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME
        operatorNamespace: $MANAGED_CLUSTER_OPERATOR_NAMESPACE
        certificate: $MANAGED_CLUSTER_CERTIFICATE" >> values.yaml

  5. Install the Tigera Calico Enterprise operator and custom resource definitions using the Helm 3 chart:

    helm install calico-enterprise tigera-operator-v3.18.3-0.tgz -f values.yaml \
    --set-file imagePullSecrets.tigera-pull-secret=<path/to/pull/secret>,tigera-prometheus-operator.imagePullSecrets.tigera-pull-secret=<path/to/pull/secret> \
    --set-file licenseKeyContent=<path/to/license/file/yaml> \
    --namespace tigera-operator --create-namespace

  6. You can now monitor progress with the following command:

    watch kubectl get tigerastatus

Create an admin user and verify management cluster connection​

To access resources in a managed cluster from the Calico Enterprise Manager within the management cluster, the logged-in user must have appropriate permissions defined in that managed cluster (clusterrole bindings).

Create an admin user, mcm-user, in the default namespace with full permissions, and token.

kubectl create sa mcm-user
kubectl create clusterrolebinding mcm-user-admin --clusterrole=tigera-network-admin --serviceaccount=default:mcm-user
kubectl create token mcm-user -n default

Use the generated token, to connect to the UI. In the top right banner in the UI, your management cluster is displayed as the first entry in the cluster selection drop-down menu with the fixed name, management cluster.

Congratulations! You have now installed Calico Enterprise for a management cluster using the Helm 3 chart.

Next steps​

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