SUSE Rancher for AWS Quick Start

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

  • An AWS account with billing enabled.

  • IAM permissions to create roles, or access to AWS CloudFormation.

  • A modern web browser.

  • An SUSE Rancher for AWS (SRFA) account credential.

5-Step Quick Start

Step 1: Log In

  1. Navigate to your SUSE Rancher for AWS URL.

  2. Log in with your credentials.

  3. The SUSE Rancher for AWS home page appears with quick action cards.

Step 2: Link AWS Account

Connect your AWS account to SUSE Rancher for AWS:

  1. Click the Link AWS Account card.

  2. Provide the following details:

    • Name: my-aws-prod (or any unique name)

    • Default Region: Select your AWS region (for example, us-east-1)

  3. Select I need to set up a new role.

  4. Click Launch Stack. This opens AWS CloudFormation in a new tab.

  5. In CloudFormation:

    • Check the acknowledgment box.

    • Click Create stack.

    • Wait for the CREATE_COMPLETE status.

  6. Go to the Outputs tab.

  7. Copy the RoleArn (format: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/SRFA-Role).

  8. Return to the SUSE Rancher for AWS tab.

  9. Click I’ve Created the IAM Role.

  10. Paste the Role ARN and click Create.

For alternative methods, refer to the AWS Credentials guide if you cannot use CloudFormation.

Step 3: Create EKS Cluster

Create your first cluster using the wizard:

  1. Click Create EKS Cluster from the home page.

  2. In the Cluster Setup step:

    • Name: my-first-cluster (must be unique).

    • Region: Select the same region as your credential (for example, us-east-1).

    • Cloud Credential: Select the credential created in Step 2.

    • Click Next.

  3. In the Node Configuration step:

    • Select the Small (S) - Development preset.

    • Click Next.

  4. In the Review step:

    • Verify the configuration and estimated costs.

    • Click Create.

The provisioning progress page appears.

You can safely close your browser; provisioning continues in the background.

Provisioning phases include:

Phase 1

EKS Control Plane

Phase 2

Node Groups

Phase 3

Rancher Agent

Phase 4

Agent Connection

Step 4: Wait for Completion

Monitor the provisioning progress:

  • Checkmarks appear as each phase completes.

  • Real-time status updates show the current operation.

  • A success message displays when the EKS cluster is ready.

Step 5: Deploy an Application

When the cluster is ready, deploy an application:

  1. Click Deploy Applications on the success banner, or navigate to Cluster Manager > Explore > Apps > Charts.

  2. Search for nginx.

  3. Click the nginx chart and select Install.

  4. Configure the following:

    • Name: my-nginx

    • Namespace: default

    • Keep the default values for the remaining options.

  5. Click Install.

  6. View the workload by navigating to Workload > Deployments > my-nginx.