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Version: 5.5

Kubernetes and Container Orchestration

Benefits of Kubernetes​

Using Kubernetes offers numerous advantages for deploying and managing the OPC Router:

  • Scalability: Kubernetes allows you to scale the number of OPC Router instances based on current requirements.
  • **Flexibility: By using containers, different versions and configurations of the OPC Router can be easily managed and deployed.
  • Automation: Kubernetes automates many administrative tasks, including deployments, rollbacks, and scaling, which simplifies management and reduces errors.

Helm Chart for OPC Router​

The Helm chart for the OPC Router simplifies the deployment and management of the OPC Router in a Kubernetes cluster. Here are the main features and configuration options:

Deployment:​

  • Helm Chart: Enables deployment of the OPC Router on any Kubernetes cluster.
  • Multiple Configurations: Support for various configuration options to meet specific requirements.

Configuration:​

  • Global Parameters: Settings such as the global Docker image registry and StorageClass.
  • Common Parameters: Parameters for customizing the name and service account settings.
  • **OPC Router Parameters: Configurations for the OPC Router image, environment variables, and project repository.
  • MongoDB Parameters: Settings for MongoDB integration, including authentication and redundancy.

Redundancy:​

  • OPC Router Redundancy: Support for redundancy mode to run a second pod with an OPC Router runtime that takes over in the event of a failure of the primary pod.
  • **MongoDB Redundancy: Ability to run multiple MongoDB pods to provide database redundancy and increase reliability.

Best Practices​

To take full advantage of Kubernetes and Helm Charts, the following best practices should be followed:

Private Repositories:​

  • Ensure that Git repositories are private to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Establishing a connection between the OPC Router’s internal Git system and hosted Git servers such as GitHub, Bitbucket, or Microsoft Azure DevOps.

Secrets Management:​

  • Secrets and passwords should never be stored in a Git repository.
  • The OPC Router always stores secrets in a separate local vault to ensure they are not versioned.

Regular Updates and Monitoring:​

  • Regularly updating the Kubernetes cluster and Helm charts.
  • Monitoring the cluster to ensure that all components are functioning and scaling properly.

Practical Implementation​

Deployment with Helm Chart:​

  1. Prerequisites: Ensure that Kubernetes and Helm are installed and configured

  2. Add the Helm Repository: Add the OPC Router Helm repository and update it:

    helm repo add opc-router https://opc-router.github.io/helm-charts
    helm repo update

  3. Installing the OPC Router: Use the following command to install the OPC Router:

    helm install my-opcrouter opc-router/opc-router --set I_do_accept_the_EULA=true

  4. Security Configuration: Add authentication and security parameters to secure the installation:

    helm install my-opcrouter opc-router/opc-router \
      --set webManagement.auth.disable=false \
      --set webManagement.auth.initialUser.name=<initial-web-management-user> \
      --set webManagement.auth.initialUser.password=<initial-web-management-password> \
      --set mongodb.auth.enabled=true \
      --set mongodb.auth.rootPassword=<mongodb-root-password> \
      --set mongodb.auth.replicaSetKey=<mongodb-replicaset-key> \
      --set I_do_accept_the_EULA=true

Redundancy and Scaling:​

  1. Enable OPC Router Redundancy: Configure the OPC Router redundancy mode in the Helm chart as soon as it becomes available.

  2. MongoDB Redundancy: Ensure that MongoDB is running in redundancy mode by increasing the number of pods:

    --set mongodb.replicaCount=2

Load the project from the Git repository:​

  • Reference the project repository and the path in the Helm chart to load an OPC Router project from a Git repository:

    --set project.projectRepo=<git-repository-url> \
    --set project.projectPath=<path-to-rpe-project-file> \
    --set project.configPath=<path-to-project-config-file> \
    --set project.auth.ssh_key=<private-ssh-key>

Summary​

Using Kubernetes and Helm Charts provides a powerful and flexible way to run the OPC Router in a scalable and manageable environment. By implementing best practices and taking advantage of the configuration options, organizations can maximize the reliability and efficiency of their OPC Router installations.