Easily install an OpenShift cluster - "Cluster Zero" - into a fully or partially disconnected environment, either onto bare-metal or VMware (vSphere/ESXi). Because Aba is based on the Agent-based installer there is no need to configure a load balancer, a bootstrap node or even require DHCP.
Use Aba to quickly set up OpenShift in an air-gapped environment while letting it handle the heavy lifting for you.
- Aba Overview
- About installing OpenShift in a Disconnected Network
- Prerequisites
- Start here
- Installing OpenShift
- Creating a bundle archive with everything you need to install OpenShift in an fully disconnected (air-gapped) network
- Aba Flow Chart
- About configuration files
- Customizing the Agent-based config files
- Day 2 Operations
- Feature Backlog and Ideas
- Miscellaneous
- Advanced
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Aba helps you with the following and more:
- Helps install your first OpenShift cluster, e.g. SNO (1-node), Compact (3-nodes), Standard (5+nodes).
- Installs the Quay mirror registry appliance for you or makes use of your existing container registry.
- Uses the registry's credentials and other inputs to generate the Agent-based configuration files.
- Triggers the generation of the agent-based boot ISO.
- Configures NTP during installation to prevent time synchronization issues caused by nodes with incorrect date and time settings
- Optionally, creates the required VMs in ESXi or vSphere.
- Monitors the installation progress.
- Allows for adding more images (e.g. Operators) when synchronizing the mirror registry (day 1 or 2 operation).
- Configures the OperatorHub integration with the mirror registry.
- Can create an "archive bundle" containing all the files needed to complete a fully air-gapped installation.
- Executes several workarounds, if needed, for some typical issues with disconnected environments.
- Now works with oc-mirror v1 or v2!
- Installs and integrates OpenShift Update Service (OSUS) to make upgrades a single-click.
- Helps configure OpenShift with your NTP servers.
- Enables graceful cluster shutdown and startup.
- Allows for the modification of generated configuration files (image set & agent based), if more control is required.
All commands and actions in Aba are idempotent. If you hit a snag, fix it and try again should always be the right way forward!
The diagram above illustrates two scenarios for installing OpenShift in a disconnected network environment.
- Top Section: The Disconnected Scenario (partial network access, e.g. via a proxy).
- Bottom Section: The Fully Disconnected (Air-Gapped) Scenario (data transfer only through physical means, such as "sneaker net" into a private data center).
Each scenario includes two main network zones:
- Connected Network: Located on the left side of the diagram, where external resources are accessible.
- Private Network: Located on the right side of the diagram, isolated from direct internet access.
Bastion Requirements
- Connected Bastion: Can be a workstation or virtual machine (VM) running on a laptop, configured with RHEL 8/9 or Fedora.
- Internal Bastion: Must be running RHEL 8/9 to support OpenShift installation in the private network.
These configurations ensure that each network zone meets OpenShift’s requirements for disconnected or fully air-gapped installations.
In a fully disconnected environment, where no internet access is available, two bastions are required: one connected to the internet and the other on the private network.
-
Connected Bastion or Workstation
- An x86 RHEL 8/9 or Fedora (e.g. VM) with internet access, typically on a laptop.
- Clone or download this Git repository (https://github.com/sjbylo/aba.git) to any location in your home directory.
- Download and store the Red Hat registry pull secret to
~/.pull-secret.json(a pull secret can be downloaded from https://console.redhat.com/openshift/install/pull-secret). - Install required RPMs listed in
templates/rpms-external.txt(or, if dnf is configured, let Aba use dnf to install the packages). - Run
sudo dnf updateto ensure all packages are up to date (optional). - Password-less sudo root access is recommended.
- Aba has also been tested with root user.
-
Internal Bastion
- A RHEL 8/9 VM or host within your private, air-gapped network.
- Install required RPMs as listed in
templates/rpms-internal.txt(or, if dnf is configured, let Aba use dnf to install the packages). - Password-less sudo root access is recommended.
- Aba has also been tested with root user.
In a partially disconnected environment, the internal network has limited or proxy-based internet access, allowing data synchronization directly.
- Bastion
- A single RHEL 8/9 VM with internet access and connectivity to the private network.
- Download and copy this Git repository to any location in your home directory on the bastion.
- Download and store your Red Hat registry pull secret at
~/.pull-secret.json(a pull secret can be downloaded from https://console.redhat.com/openshift/install/pull-secret). - Install required RPMs from
templates/rpms-internal.txt(or, if dnf is configured, let Aba use dnf to install the packages). - Run
sudo dnf updateto ensure all packages are up to date (optional). - Password-less sudo root access is recommended.
- Aba has also been tested with root user.
-
Registry Storage
- Minimum of 30 GB is required for OpenShift base images only, with additional Operators requiring more (500 GB or more is recommended).
-
Network Configuration
- DNS: Configure the following DNS A records which match the intended cluster name and base domain ('ocp1' and 'example.com' are just examples!):
- OpenShift API:
api.ocp1.example.compointing to a free IP in the private subnet. - OpenShift Ingress:
*.apps.ocp1.example.com(wildcard A record) pointing to a free IP in the private subnet. - Mirror Registry:
registry.example.compointing to the IP address of your internal mirror registry (or where Aba should install it). - Note: For Single Node OpenShift (SNO), configure both OpenShift API and Ingress records to point to the same IP.
- OpenShift API:
- NTP: An NTP server is recommended to ensure time synchronization across all nodes, as OpenShift requires synchronized clocks for installation and proper operation.
- DNS: Configure the following DNS A records which match the intended cluster name and base domain ('ocp1' and 'example.com' are just examples!):
-
Platform
- VMware vCenter or ESXi API Access (optional): Ensure sufficient privileges for OpenShift installation. Refer to vCenter account privileges for specific permissions, in the OpenShift documentation.
- For bare-metal installations, manually boot the nodes using the generated ISO file.
-
Registry
- If using an existing registry, add its credentials (pull secret and root CA) in the
mirror/regcredsdirectory:mirror/regcreds/pull-secret-mirror.jsonmirror/regcreds/rootCA.pem
- If using an existing registry, add its credentials (pull secret and root CA) in the
After configuring these prerequisites, run aba to start the OpenShift installation process.
Note: that Aba also works in connected environments without a private mirror registry, e.g. by accessing public container registries via a proxy. To do this, configure the proxy values in cluster.conf.
Installing Aba:
bash -c "$(gitrepo=sjbylo/aba; gitbranch=main; curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/$gitrepo/refs/heads/$gitbranch/install)"
cd aba
aba # Let Aba guide you through the installation process
git clone https://github.com/sjbylo/aba.git
cd aba
./install
aba # Let Aba guide you through the installation process
- clones the repository, installs
abaand configures some high-level settings, e.g. OpenShift target version, your domain name, machine network CIDR etc (if known). - If needed, add any required operators to the
aba.conffile by setting 'op_sets' and/or 'ops' values. - helps you decide the method of deployment and how you should proceed.
Note that 'aba' will create the aba.conf file which contains some values that you must change, e.g. your preferred platform, your domain name, your network address (if known) and any operators you will require etc.
Now, continue with either 'Disconnected scenario' or 'Fully disconnected (air-gapped) scenario' below.
In this scenario, the connected bastion has access to both the Internet and the private subnet (but not necessarily at the same time).
aba sync
This command will:
- trigger
aba mirror(to configure the mirror registry), if needed.- for an existing registry, check the connection is available and working (be sure to set up your registry credentials in
mirror/regcreds/first! See above for more). - or, installs Quay registry on the connected bastion (or remote host) and copies the generated pull secret and certificate into the
mirror/regcredsdirectory for later use.
- for an existing registry, check the connection is available and working (be sure to set up your registry credentials in
- pull images from the Internet and store them in the registry.
aba download
- Optionally download the CLI binaries into the aba/cli dir. Note: This is only required if you intend to sever the Internet connection before installing OpenShift.
Now continue with "Installing OpenShift" below.
Note that the above 'disconnected scenario' can be repeated, for example to download and install Operators as a day 2 operation or to upgrade OpenShift, by updating the sync/imageset-sync.yaml file and running aba sync/day2 again.
Please note that it is now recommended to use the above aba bundle command to initiate a fully air-gapped installation which will complete the below for you.
In this scenario, your connected workstation has access to the Internet but no access to the private network. You also require a bastion in a private subnet.
aba save
- pulls the images from the Internet and saves them into the local directory "mirror/save". Make sure there is enough disk space (30+ GB or much more for Operators)!
Then, using one of aba inc/tar/tarrepo (incremental/full or separate copies), copy the whole aba/ repository (including templates, scripts, images, CLIs and other install files) to your internal bastion (in your private network) via a portable storage device, e.g. a thumb drive.
Example:
# On the connected workstation:
# Mount your thumb drive and:
aba inc # Write tar archive to /tmp
or
aba inc out=/dev/path/to/thumb-drive/aba.tgz # Write archive 'aba.tgz' to the device
# mounted at /dev/path/to/thumb-drive
or
aba inc out=- | ssh user@host "cat > aba.tgz" # Archive and write to internal host (if possible).
# Copy the file 'aba.tgz' to your bastion via your portable storage device.
# Then, on the bastion run:
tar xvf aba.tgz # Extract the tar file. Ensure file timestamps are
# kept the same as on the connected workstation.
cd aba
./install
aba
For such cases where it is not possible to write directly to a portable storage device, e.g. due to restrictions or access is not possible, an alternative command can be used.
Example:
aba tarrepo out=/dev/path/to/drive/aba.tgz
- Write archive
aba.tgzto the device mounted at /dev/path/to/drive, EXCEPT for theseq#tar files under save/ - The
seq#tar file(s) in the "mirror/save" directory and the repository tarballaba.tgzcan be copied separately to a storage device, e.g. USB stick, S3 or other.
Copy the "aba.tgz" file to the bastion and unpack the archive. Note the directory "aba/mirror/save". Copy or move the "seq" tar file(s), as is, from the "mirror/save" directory to the bastion, into the "mirror/save" directory on the bastion.
sudo dnf install make -y # If dnf does not work in the private environment (i.e. no Satalite),
# ensure all required RPMs are pre-installed, e.g. from a DVD drive at the time of installation.
aba load
- will (if required) install Quay (from the bundle archive) and then load the images into Quay.
- Required RPMs:
- Note that the bastion will need to install RPMs from a suitable repository (for Aba testing purposes it's possible to configure
dnfto use a proxy). - If RPMs cannot be installed with "sudo dnf install", then ensure the RPMs are pre-installed, e.g. from a DVD at the time of RHEL installation.
- If rpms are not readily available in your private network, the command
aba rpmscan help by downloading the required rpms, which can then be copied to the bastion and installed withdnf localinstall rpms/*.rpm. Note this will only work if your external bastion and internal bastions are running the exact same version of RHEL (at least, that was the experience when testing!).
- Note that the bastion will need to install RPMs from a suitable repository (for Aba testing purposes it's possible to configure
Now continue with "Installing OpenShift" below.
Note that the above 'air-gapped workflow' can be repeated in the exact same way, for example to incrementally install Operators or download new versions of images to upgrade OpenShift.
For example, by:
- editing the
save/imageset-save.yamlfile on the connected workstation to add more images or to fetch the latest images - running
aba save - running
aba inc(or aba tar or aba tarrepo) to create a bundle archive (see above) - unpacking the tar archive on the bastion
- running
aba loadto load the images into the internal registry.
Note that generated 'image sets' are sequential and must be pushed to the target mirror registry in order. You can derive the sequence number from the file name of the generated image set archive file in the mirror/save directory.
cd aba
aba cluster --name mycluster [--type sno|compact|standard] [--step xyz] [--starting-ip <ip>] [--api-vip <ip>] [--ingress-vip <ip>]
- creates and initializes a directory
mycluster(you should name the directory with the same name of your cluster), - prompts you to run
abainside the directory. The most useful 'steps' are 'agentconf', 'iso' and 'mon'.
Once the nodes have booted from the iso the following command should be run to monitor the progress of the installation. For example:
cd <cluster dir> # e.g. cd mycluster
aba mon
After OpenShift has been installed you will see the following output:
INFO Install complete!
INFO To access the cluster as the system:admin user when using 'oc', run
INFO export KUBECONFIG=/home/steve/aba/compact/iso-agent-based/auth/kubeconfig
INFO Access the OpenShift web-console here: https://console-openshift-console.apps.compact.example.com
INFO Login to the console with user: "kubeadmin", and password: "XXYZZ-XXYZZ-XXYZZ-XXYZZ"
The cluster has been successfully installed.
Run '. <(aba shell)' to access the cluster using the kubeconfig file (x509 cert), or
Run '. <(aba login)' to log into the cluster using the 'kubeadmin' password.
Run 'aba help' for more options.
You can get access to the cluster using one of the commands:
. <(aba shell)
oc whoami
- provides access via the kubeconfig file.
. <(aba login)
oc whoami
- provides access via "oc login".
You can run commands against the cluster, e.g. to show the installation progress:
watch aba --cmd "get co"
If you want to create the agent-based config files, e.g. to make changes to install-config.yaml and agent-config.yaml, use:
cd mycluster
aba agentconf
# then, if needed, manually edit the 'agent-config.yaml' file to set the appropriate mac addresses matching your bare-metal nodes, change drive and net interface hints etc.
If you want to create the agent-based iso file, e.g. to boot bare-metal nodes, use:
cd mycluster
aba iso
# boot the bare-metal node(s) with the generated ISO file.
# This can be done using a USB stick or via the server's remote management interfaces (BMC etc).
aba mon
If OpenShift fails to install, see the Troubleshooting readme.
Other examples of commands (aba ):
cd mycluster # change to the directory with the agent-based install files, using mycluster as an example.
| Target | Description |
|---|---|
aba day2 |
Integrate the private mirror into OpenShift. |
aba ls |
Show list of VMs and their state. |
aba startup |
Gracefully start up a cluster |
aba shutdown |
Gracefully shut down (or hibernate) a cluster. aba shutdown --wait wait for power-off |
aba start |
Power on all VMs |
aba stop |
Gracefully shut down all VMs (guest shutdown only!) |
aba poweroff |
Power off all VMs immediately |
aba kill |
Same as poweroff |
aba create |
Create all VMs |
aba refresh |
Delete, re-create and boot the VMs causing the cluster to be re-installed. |
aba delete |
Delete all the VMs |
aba login |
Display the oc login command for the cluster. Use: . <(aba login) |
aba shell |
Display the command to access the cluster using the kubeconfig file. Use: . <(aba shell) |
aba help |
Help is available in all Makefiles (in aba/Makefile, aba/mirror/Makefile, aba/cli/Makefile and aba/<mycluster>/Makefile) |
Creating a bundle archive with everything you need to install OpenShift in a fully disconnected (air-gapped) network
Do you need to download a set of images and CLI tools to install OpenShift into a fully disconnected (air-gapped) network?
Here is how you can use Aba to create a bundle archive to do that!
Store your pull secret in this file:
~/.pull-secret.json
Run these commands on a RHEL 8/9 or Fedora VM:
git clone https://github.com/sjbylo/aba.git
cd aba
./install
Connect a large USB media stick (or other device) to your VM and write the bundle archive to it:
Set the version oc OpenShift you want to install:
v=4.17.16
Note: It is recommended to run aba bundle on a fresh install of Aba or use the --force flag to overwrite any pre-existing files under aba/mirror/save.
Create the bundle archive with this single command:
aba bundle \
--pull-secret "~/.pull-secret.json" \
--channel stable \
--version $v \
--op-sets ocp odf \
--ops web-terminal devworkspace-operator \
--base-domain example.com \
--machine-network 10.0.0.0/20 \
--dns 10.0.1.8 \
--ntp 10.0.1.8 ntp.example.com \
--platform bm \
--force \
--out - | split -b 10G - /path/to/your/large/portable/media/ocp_mycluster_${v}_
- This will output several 10GB archive files named ocp_mycluster_4.17.16_aa|ab|ac... etc.
- Depending on the channel chosen, the OpenShift version can be set to the most recent 'previous' point version (using '--version p').
- If needed, --op-sets refers to predefined sets of operators, as defined in the files
templates/operator-set-*. - If needed, add individual operators after "--ops".
- If known, values --domain, --machine-network, --dns and --ntp should be set (otherwise these values must be set in aba.conf on the internal bastion).
- Set the target --platform, either
bm(bare-metal) orvmw(vSphere or ESXi). - Once the
aba bundlecommand completes be sure there were no errors and verify the files are complete, e.g. with the command:cat ocp_mycluster_4.17.16_* | tar tvf -. - Generate checksums for the files, e.g.
cksum ocp_mycluster_4.17.16_*. It is important that the files are not damaged or incomplete in any way! - Warning: --force will overwrite any image set files already under aba/mirror/save!
Copy the files to your RHEL 8/9 internal bastion within the private internal network.
Verify the files are intact by comparing the checksum values with the original files:
cksum ocp_mycluster_4.17.16_*
Extract the bundle archive:
cat /path/to/ocp_mycluster_4.17.16_* | tar xvf -
cd aba
./install
aba # Run aba and follow the instructions
Note: You will find the large image set tar file under aba/mirror/save.
You can now install the Quay mirror registry to localhost and then load it with images using the following command (see below for more details):
aba mirror -H registry.example.com load --retry 3
To install OpenShift run the following command and follow the instructions (see below for more details):
aba cluster --name mycluster --type compact [--starting-ip <ip>] [--api-vip <ip>] [--ingress-vip <ip>]
This chart explains the flow of Aba and how Aba works, showing the main choices: air-gapped, partially disconnected, connected and installation on VMW or bare-metal.
| Config file | Description |
|---|---|
aba/aba.conf |
the 'global' config, used to set the target version of OpenShift, your domain name, private network address, DNS IP etc |
aba/mirror/mirror.conf |
describes your private/internal mirror registry (either existing or to-be-installed) |
aba/cluster-name/cluster.conf |
describes how to build an OpenShift cluster, e.g. number/size of master and worker nodes, ingress IPs, bonding etc |
aba/vmware.conf |
vCenter/ESXi access configuration using govc CLI (optional) |
- Once a cluster config directory has been created (e.g.
compact) and Agent-based configuration has been created, changes can be made to theinstall-config.yamlandagent-config.yamlfiles if needed.abacan be run again to re-create the ISO and the VMs etc (if required). Aba should see the changes and try to preserve and use them. Simple changes to the files, e.g. IP/Mac address changes, default route changes, adding disk hints etc work fine.
The workflow could look like this:
aba cluster --name mycluser --step agentconf # Create the cluster dir and Makefile & generate the initial agent config files.
cd mycluster
# Now manually edit the generated `install-config.yaml` and `agent-config.yaml` files (where needed, e.g. bare-metal mac addresses) and
# start cluster installation:
aba
The following script can be used to extract the cluster config from the agent-config yaml files. This script can be run to check that the correct information can be extracted to create the VMs (if required).
Example:
cd sno
scripts/cluster-config.sh # example execution to show the cluster configuration extracted from the Agend-based config files.
As an example, edit agent-config.yaml to include the following to direct agent-based installer to install RHCOS onto the 2nd disk, e.g. /dev/sdb:
rootDeviceHints:
deviceName: /dev/sdb
or, adding vSphere integration into install-config.yaml (works from the OpenShift Console on day 2, with v4.14 and below) - Note, this is completed automatically now if you are deploying on vSphere or ESXi.
platform:
vsphere:
apiVIP: "10.0.1.216"
ingressVIP: "10.0.1.226"
Check cluster-config.sh is able to parse all the data it needs to create the agent config files (and the VMs, if needed):
scripts/cluster-config.sh # example execution to show the cluster configuration extracted from the agend-based files.
Run aba again to rebuild the agent-based ISO. You should boot the bare-metal servers with the iso file, e.g.:
aba
...
aba iso
...
aba mon
Once your OpenShift cluster is installed using Aba, there are several recommended "Day 2" tasks to finalize configuration and ensure cluster health.
Start with:
aba info
This displays access information for your cluster, including OpenShift Console URL, kubeadmin credentials, and next-step guidance.
aba day2
Configures OpenShift to use your internal mirror registry for OperatorHub, ensuring it works even in disconnected environments.
aba day2-ntp
Ensures all nodes are connected to NTP servers. Time drift can cause OpenShift installation or operation to fail.
aba day2-osus
Configures OpenShift to receive updates via your internal mirror. Useful for enabling controlled cluster upgrades in disconnected setups.
NOTE: The cincinnati-operator must be available in the mirror for OSUS to work.
aba login
- Logs into OpenShift using the
ocCLI.
Alternatively, you can try
. <(aba login)
This just means the output of aba login gets executed in the shell as if you typed the command yourself.
. <(aba shell)
- Sets the
KUBECONFIGenvironment variable. - To confirm cluster status and operator health, you can now run:
oc whoami
watch -n 5 oc get co
-
Configure ACM (if installed) to be ready to install clusters from the mirror registry.
-
Configure htpasswd login, add users, disable kubeadmin.
-
Use PXE boot as alternative to ISO upload.
-
Enable aba to work in a container (this has been partially implemented, see below)
-
Assist in adding OpenShift Update Service (OSUS) to the cluster. -
Support bonding and vlan. -
Make it easier to integrate with vSphere, including storage. -
Disable public OperatorHub and configure the internal registry to serve images. -
Make it easier to populate the imageset config file with current values, i.e. download the values from the latest catalog and insert them into the image set archive file.
- oc-mirror v2 is now also supported by aba . To change oc-mirror's default cache location (~/.oc-mirror), export the OC_MIRROR_CACHE environment variable to a path with sufficient disk space, e.g.:
export OC_MIRROR_CACHE=/path/to/big-drive
-
By default, aba sets the cache location (OC_MIRROR_CACHE) and temporary directory (TMPDIR) under the path defined by reg_root in mirror/mirror.conf. You can override these locations by exporting the environment variables, as shown above.
-
You can list the dependent images of operators using this script: scripts/listopdeps.sh 4.18 odf-operator
-
If you want to install workers with different CPU/MEM sizes (which can be used to install Operators, e.g. Ceph, ODF, ACM etc, on infra nodes), change the VM resources (CPU/RAM) as needed after OpenShift is installed (if using VMs).
-
Govc is used to create and manage VMs on ESXi or vSphere.
Be sure to set the correct (govc) values to access vCenter in the vmware.conf file. Note that ESXi is also supported.
Aba uses make to define and process all dependencies. Due to this, Aba will usually know what to do next, so just run aba again.
Why make was chosen to build Aba?
The UNIX/Linux command "make" is a utility for automating tasks based on rules specified in a Makefile. It enhances efficiency by managing dependencies, facilitating streamlined processes. Widely applied beyond software development, "make" proves versatile in system management, ensuring organized execution of diverse tasks through predefined rules!
- How to clean up and remove aba
Run on the internal bastion:
cd aba
aba uninstall # uninstall the registry (if needed)
cd ..
rm -rf aba
sudo rm $(which aba)
Run on the external bastion or laptop:
rm -rf aba
sudo rm $(which aba)
# re-install aba
bash -c "$(gitrepo=sjbylo/aba; gitbranch=main; curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/$gitrepo/refs/heads/$gitbranch/install)"
cd aba
./install
aba
-
Aba now runs in a containerized environment (partial support):
- Tested on Mac M1 (
arm64) with successful results. - You can run Aba in a container, for example:
docker run -it --rm --name centos9 quay.io/centos/centos:stream9
- Aba can:
- Connect to an existing remote registry (installation of a new registry (from) inside the container is not yet supported).
- Access public registries over the Internet (directly or through a proxy).
- Generate an
arm64ISO image suitable for OpenShift installation onarm64systems.
6D47
- Tested on Mac M1 (
-
Tested Use Case:
- ISO generated from within the container was successfully used to install OpenShift on an M1 Mac using VMware Fusion.
aba sno
- This will create a directory
snoand then install SNO OpenShift using the Agent-based installer (note, all preset parameters inshortcut.confmust be completed for this to work). If you are using VMware the VMs will be created for you. - Be sure to go through all the values in
aba/vmware.confandsno/cluster.conf. - Be sure your DNS entries have been set up in advance. See above on Prerequisites.
- Aba will show you the installation progress. To troubleshoot cluster installation, run
aba sshto log into the rendezvous node. If there are any issues - e.g. incorrect DNS records - fix them and try again. All commands and actions in Aba are idempotent. If you hit a problem, fix it and try again should always be the right way forward!
aba compact # for a 3 node cluster topology (note, *all* parameters in 'aba.conf' must be completed for this to work).
aba standard # for a 3+2 topology (note, *all* parameters in 'aba.conf' must be completed for this to work).
- Run this to create a compact cluster (works in a similar way to the above).
bash -c "$(gitrepo=sjbylo/aba; gitbranch=dev; curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/$gitrepo/refs/heads/$gitbranch/install)" -- dev
Q: Does Aba know what packages to install beforehand?
Yes. Aba uses predefined package lists depending on whether you're in a connected or air-gapped environment:
- External bastion:
templates/rpms-external.txt - Internal bastion:
templates/rpms-internal.txt
You can let Aba install them automatically (if dnf is configured) or install them manually using the package lists.
Q: Can Aba run inside a container?
Preferably, run Aba in a RHEL 8 or 9 VM. Aba has been officially tested on x86 RHEL 8/9 systems (VM or physical). However, there are no hard limitations that prevent you from experimenting with containerized execution. Just be aware of storage, permission, and tool compatibility caveats. For example, installing Quay or managing certain system-level dependencies might not work.
Q: Does Aba support ARM?
Yes. Aba is developed and validated for x86_64 architecture, but running on ARM is also supported. You can have a RHEL ARM or CentOs Stream Instance as the bastion.
Q: How much disk space do I need when using Aba?
Minimum: 30GB for OpenShift base images only.
Recommended: 500GB–1TB if you plan to include Operators, additional CLI tools, or create full bundle archives.
Q: Can I install Operators from community catalogs (outside Red Hat)?
Not directly. Aba currently supports Red Hat’s official catalog via oc-mirror. If you want Operators from external/community catalogs:
- You will need to manually fetch and mirror those images
- Update
imageset-save.yamlorimageset-sync.yamlwith correct image references
NOTE: This is an advanced scenario and may break compatibility if the catalogs are not OCI-compliant.
Q: Where are cluster types (SNO, compact, standard) configured?
These are set during cluster creation using:
aba cluster --name mycluster --type sno|compact|standard
The following parameters and values in cluster.conf are used to set the cluster topology:
- num_masters
- num_workers