Quick Start: Deploy a SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy

This guide outlines the deployment process for the SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy. This guide presumes you have already successfully deployed a SUSE Manager 5.0 Server. To successfully deploy, you will perform the following actions:

Task: Proxy Deployment

  1. Review hardware requirements.

  2. Synchronize the SLE Micro 5.5 parent channel and the Proxy extension child channel on the server.

  3. Install SLE Micro 5.5 on a bare-metal machine.

  4. During the installation, register SLE Micro 5.5 along with the SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy extension.

  5. Create a Salt activation key.

  6. Bootstrap the Proxy as a Salt minion.

  7. Generate a Proxy configuration.

  8. Transfer the Proxy configuration from Server to Proxy

  9. Use the Proxy configuration to register the Salt minion as a Proxy with SUSE Manager.

Supported operating system for the Proxy Container Host

The supported operating system for the container host is SLE Micro 5.5.

Container host

A container host is a server equipped with a container engine like Podman, which lets it manage and deploy containers. These containers hold applications and their essential parts, such as libraries, but not a full operating system, making them lightweight. This setup ensures applications run the same way in different environments. The container host supplies the necessary resources such as CPU, memory, and storage for these containers.

1. Hardware Requirements for the Proxy

This table shows the hardware requirements for deploying SUSE Manager Proxy.

Table 1. Proxy Hardware Requirements
Hardware Details Recommendation

CPU

x86-64, ARM

Minimum 2 dedicated 64-bit CPU cores

RAM

Minimum

2 GB

Recommended

8 GB

Disk Space

/ (root directory)

Minimum 40 GB

/var/lib/containers/storage/volumes/srv-www

Minimum 100 GB, Storage requirements should be calculated for the number of ISO distribution images, containers, and bootstrap repositories you will use.

/var/lib/containers/storage/volumes/var-cache (Squid)

Minimum 100 GB

2. Sync the Parent and Proxy Extension Child channels

This section presumes that you have already entered your organization credentials under the Admin  Setup Wizard → Organization Credentials in the Servers Web UI. Products are listed on the Admin  Setup Wizard → Products page. This channel must be fully synchronized on the server, with the child channel [systemitem]Proxy as an extension option selected.

setup wizard
Figure 1. SUSE Manager 5.0 Channel Sync for Proxy
Task: Sync the Proxy Parent Channel and Proxy Extension

  1. In the SUSE Manager Web UI select Admin  Products.

  2. From the products page enter SLE Micro in the filter field.

  3. Next use the dropdown to select the required architecture. For this example x86-64.

  4. In the Product Description field select the SLE Micro 5.5 checkbox then use the dropdown to select the SUSE Manager Proxy Extension 5.0 x86_64 BETA extension.

  5. Click the + Add products button.

  6. Wait for the sync to complete.

3. SLE Micro 5.5 Installation

Task: Download the Installation Media

  1. Locate the SLE Micro 5.5 installation media at https://www.suse.com/download/sle-micro/.

  2. You will need an account with SUSE Customer Center and must be logged in to download the ISO.

  3. Download the following file: SLE-Micro-5.5-DVD-x86_64-GM-Media1.iso

  4. Prepare a USB fash disk or DVD for installation.

  5. Insert a DVD or a bootable USB stick containing the installation image for SLE Micro 5.5.

  6. Boot or reboot your system.

    For detailed documentation on preparing your machines OS (virtual or physical), see SLE Micro 5.5 Deployment Guide.

Task: SLE Micro 5.5 Installation

  1. Use the arrow keys to select Installation.

  2. Adjust Keyboard and language. Click the checkbox to accept the License Agreement.

  3. Click Next to continue.

  4. Select your registration method. For this example we will register the server with SUSE Customer Center.

    SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy as an extension

    The SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy is registered as an extension. Therefore, in addition to acquiring an SUSE Customer Center registration key for SLE Micro 5.5, you will also need an SUSE Customer Center registration code for the following extension:

    • SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy

  5. Enter your SUSE Customer Center Email address.

  6. Enter your registration code for SLE Micro 5.5.

  7. Click Next to continue.

  8. On the Extension and Module Selection page uncheck the Hide Development Versions checkbox.

  9. Select the SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy extension Checkbox.

  10. Click Next to continue.

  11. Enter your SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy extension registration code.

  12. Click Next to continue.

  13. On the NTP Configuration page click Next.

  14. On the Authentication for the System page enter a password for the root user. Click Next.

  15. On the Installation Settings page click Install.

This concludes installation of SLE Micro 5.5 and SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy as an extension.

3.1. Update the system

Task: Update the System

  1. Login as root.

  2. Run transactional-update:

    transactional-update

  3. Reboot the system.

  4. Login as root.

  5. Install the container utilities:

    Alternatively you may install mgrpxy-zsh-completion or mgrpxy-fish-completion.

    		 
    transactional-update pkg install mgrpxy mgrpxy-bash-completion

  6. Reboot the system.

4. Create an Activation Key for the Proxy

Task: Create an Activation Key

  1. Select Systems  Activation Keys then click + Create key.

  2. Create an activation key for the proxy host with SLE Micro 5.5 as the parent channel. This key should include all recommended channels and the Proxy as an extension child channel.

  3. Proceed to boostrapping the proxy host as a minion.

5. Bootstrap the Proxy Host as a Minion

Task: Bootstrap the Proxy Host

  1. Select Systems  Bootstrapping.

  2. Fill in the fields for your Proxy host.

  3. Select the Activation key created in the previous step from the dropdown.

  4. Click + Bootstrap.

  5. Wait for the Bootstrap process to complete successfully. Check the Salt menu and confirm the Salt minion key is listed and accepted.

  6. Reboot the Proxy host.

  7. Select the host from the System list and trigger a second reboot after all events are finished to conclude the onboarding.

Task: Update the Proxy Host

  1. Select the host from the Systems list and apply all patches to update it.

  2. Reboot the Proxy host.

6. Generate the Proxy Configuration

The configuration archive of the SUSE Manager Proxy is generated by the SUSE Manager Server. Each additional Proxy requires its own configuration archive.

The container host for the SUSE Manager Proxy must be registered as a salt minion to the SUSE Manager Server prior to generating this Proxy configuration.

You will perform the following tasks:

  1. Generate a Proxy configuration file.

  2. Transfer the configuration to the Proxy.

  3. Start the Proxy with the mgrpxy command.

Task: Generating a Proxy Container Configuration using Web UI

  1. In the Web UI, navigate to Systems  Proxy Configuration and fill the required data:

  2. In the Proxy FQDN field type fully qualified domain name for the proxy.

  3. In the Parent FQDN field type fully qualified domain name for the SUSE Manager Server or another SUSE Manager Proxy.

  4. In the Proxy SSH port field type SSH port on which SSH service is listening on SUSE Manager Proxy. Recommended is to keep default 8022.

  5. In the Max Squid cache size [MB] field type maximal allowed size for Squid cache. Typically this should be at most 60% of available storage for the containers.

  6. In the SSL certificate selection list choose if new server certificate should be generated for SUSE Manager Proxy or an existing one should be used. You can consider generated certificates as SUSE Manager builtin (self signed) certificates.

    Depending on the choice then provide either path to signing CA certificate to generate a new certificate or path to an existing certificate and its key to be used as proxy certificate.

    The CA certificates generated on the server are stored in the /var/lib/containers/storage/volumes/root/ssl-build directory.

    For more information about existing or custom certificates and the concept of corporate and intermediate certificates, see Import SSL Certificates.

  7. Click Generate to register new proxy FQDN in SUSE Manager Server and generate configuration archive with details for container host.

  8. After a few moments you are presented with file to download. Save this file locally.

suma proxy containerized webui

7. Transfer the Proxy Configuration

The Web UI generates a configuration archive. This archive needs to be made available on the Proxy container host.

Task: Copy the Proxy configuration

  1. Copy the files from the Server container to the Server host OS:

    mgrctl cp server:/root/config.tar.gz .

  2. Next copy the files from the Server host OS to the Proxy host:

    scp config.tar.gz <proxy-FQDN>:/root

  3. Install the Proxy with:

    mgrpxy install podman config.tar.gz

8. Start the SUSE Manager 5.0 Proxy

Container can now be started with the mgrpxy command:

Task: Start and Check Proxy Status

  1. Start the Proxy by calling:

    mgrpxy start

  2. Check container status by calling:

    mgrpxy status

    Five SUSE Manager Proxy containers should be present:

    • proxy-salt-broker

    • proxy-httpd

    • proxy-tftpd

    • proxy-squid

    • proxy-ssh

And should be part of the proxy-pod container pod.