In OpenShift environments, effectively managing the lifecycle of Operators is essential for ensuring smooth application operations. OpenShift Operators are extensions to Kubernetes that utilize custom resources to manage applications and their components. In this guide, we'll demonstrate how we can efficiently handle the lifecycle of OpenShift Operators using ArgoCD, a GitOps continuous delivery tool.
Prerequisites
We need access to an OpenShift cluster.
We should have ArgoCD installed and configured.
It's helpful to have a basic understanding of Kubernetes resources.
Procedure
Install operator via ArgoCD
1. Creating a subscription:
First, we create a Subscription resource to install the operator. This resource specifies which operator to install and which channel to subscribe to for updates. When we create the Subscription, it triggers the creation of an InstallPlan, which outlines the necessary installation steps.
yaml
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1
kind: Subscription
metadata:
name: my-operator
spec:
channel: stable
name: my-operator
source: my-operator-source
sourceNamespace: operators2. Configuring OperatorGroup:
An OperatorGroup specifies the namespaces where the operator will manage resources. If we're installing the operator in a namespace other than openshift-operators, we need to create the OperatorGroup in that namespace. This ensures that the operator has the required permissions to operate within those namespaces.
Code example
Here's an example YAML snippet demonstrating the creation of a Subscription and OperatorGroup for an OpenShift operator:
yaml
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1
kind: OperatorGroup
metadata:
name: my-operator-group
namespace: my-namespace
spec:
targetNamespaces:
- my-target-namespace3. Apply via GitOps with ArgoCD:
ArgoCD enables GitOps practices, where cluster states are defined in a Git repository.
Make sure your Subscription and OperatorGroup manifests reside in a Git repository accessible to ArgoCD.
Create an ArgoCD Application manifest to synchronize the Git repository with your OpenShift cluster.
yaml
apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Application
metadata:
name: openshift-operator-app
namespace: argocd
spec:
source:
repoURL: <git_repository_url>
targetRevision: HEAD
path: <path_to_operator_resources>
syncPolicy:
automated:
prune: true
selfHeal: true
destination:
server: https://kubernetes.default.svc
namespace: <target_namespace>
project: <project_name>
syncPolicy:
automated:
prune: true
selfHeal: true
syncOptions:
- CreateNamespace=trueTo ensure a clean and efficient environment, it's also essential to manage and clean up unused resources. Check out this guide on auto cleanup resources on Kubernetes and OpenShift for more details.
4. Approval of install plan:
After applying the Subscription, the Operator generates an Install Plan.
This plan details the steps needed for installation.
Manual approval might be required to proceed with the installation.
5. Monitor operator installation:
While the Operator pod remains inactive, its status shows as 'NotInstalled'.
Keep track of the installation progress by monitoring the Install Plan and Operator pod status.
6. Configure health checks with ArgoCD:
Ensure effective monitoring of the Operator's health by configuring health checks in ArgoCD.
Define health checks based on custom metrics, pod health, or other relevant criteria.
Update the ArgoCD Application manifest to include these health check configurations.
Health check configuration
yaml
Example Manifest for an Argocd Instance with Healthchecks
apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: ArgoCD
metadata:
name: openshift-gitops
namespace: openshift-gitops
spec:
...
resourceHealthChecks:
- check: |
hs = {}
hs.status = "Progressing"
hs.message = ""
if obj.status ~= nil then
if obj.status.health ~= nil then
if obj.status.sync.status == 'Synced' then
hs.status = obj.status.health.status
if obj.status.health.message ~= nil then
hs.message = obj.status.health.message
end
end
end
end
return hs
group: argoproj.io
kind: Application
- check: |
health_status = {}
if obj.status ~= nil then
if obj.status.conditions ~= nil then
numDegraded = 0
numPending = 0
msg = ""
for i, condition in pairs(obj.status.conditions) do
msg = msg .. i .. ": " .. condition.type .. " | " .. condition.status .. "\n"
if condition.type == "InstallPlanPending" and condition.status == "True" then
numPending = numPending + 1
elseif (condition.type == "InstallPlanMissing" and condition.reason ~= "ReferencedInstallPlanNotFound") then
numDegraded = numDegraded + 1
elseif (condition.type == "CatalogSourcesUnhealthy" or condition.type == "InstallPlanFailed" or condition.type == "ResolutionFailed") and condition.status == "True" then
numDegraded = numDegraded + 1
end
end
end
if numDegraded == 0 and numPending == 0 then
health_status.status = "Healthy"
health_status.message = msg
return health_status
elseif numPending > 0 and numDegraded == 0 and obj.spec.installPlanApproval == "Manual" then
health_status.status = "Healthy"
health_status.message = "An install plan for a subscription is pending installation but install plan approval is set to manual so considering this as healthy: " .. msg
return health_status
elseif numPending > 0 and numDegraded == 0 then
health_status.status = "Progressing"
health_status.message = "An install plan for a subscription is pending installation"
return health_status
else
health_status.status = "Degraded"
health_status.message = msg
return health_status
end
end
return health_status
group: operators.coreos.com
kind: Subscription
- check: |
hs = {}
if obj.status ~= nil then
if obj.status.phase ~= nil then
if obj.status.phase == "Complete" then
hs.status = "Healthy"
hs.message = obj.status.phase
return hs
end
end
end
hs.status = "Progressing"
hs.message = "Waiting for InstallPlan to complete"
return hs
group: operators.coreos.com
kind: InstallPlanTo streamline the deployment process, especially when dealing with configuration changes, consider using OpenShift DeploymentConfig for Stakater Reloader.
7. Setting up an example operator:
We'll demonstrate setting up the Crunchy PostgreSQL Operator using ArgoCD, and health checks will ensure the application's health upon installation.
Add the following manifests to your GitOps repository.
01-operatorgroup.yaml
yaml
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1
kind: OperatorGroup
metadata:
name: postgres-operator
namespace: postgres-operator
spec:
targetNamespaces:
- postgres-operator
```
02-subscription.yaml
```yaml
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1
kind: Subscription
metadata:
name: postgresql
namespace: postgres-operator
spec:
channel: "v5"
installPlanApproval: "Automatic"
name: "postgresql"
source: "community-operators"
sourceNamespace: "openshift-marketplace"
startingCSV: "postgresoperator.v5.4.2"Applying the ArgoCD application
apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Application
metadata:
name: postgres-operator-app
namespace: argocd
spec:
destination:
namespace: rh-openshift-gitops-instance
server: https://kubernetes.default.svc
project: default
source:
path: postgres-operator
repoURL: 'git@github.com:your-org/gitops-repo'
targetRevision: HEAD
syncPolicy:
automated:
selfHeal: true
syncOptions:
- CreateNamespace=trueEnsuring our application is syncing
We ensure the successful installation of the operator in the namespace before marking the app as green in ArgoCD.
If the installation fails, ArgoCD health checks will mark it as degraded with specified reasons in the health check.
Managing the lifecycle of OpenShift Operators is crucial for maintaining stability and performance in applications on OpenShift clusters. By integrating ArgoCD into our process, we automate the deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of Operators, ensuring a reliable and efficient operational environment.
To further enhance your OpenShift environment, consider exploring OpenShift as a Service offered by Stakater. For expert guidance and support, you can explore our Kubernetes Consultancy.
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