4 Component model #

By using:

you can create the necessary infrastructure and services. Further details for these components are described in the following sections.

Rancher Kubernetes Engine is a CNCF-certified Kubernetes distribution that runs entirely within Docker containers. It solves the common frustration of installation complexity with Kubernetes by removing most host dependencies and presenting a stable path for deployment, upgrades, and rollbacks.

With Rancher Kubernetes Engine [RKE], the operation of Kubernetes is easily automated and entirely independent of the operating system and platform you are running. As long as you can run a supported version of Docker, you can deploy and run Kubernetes with RKE. It builds a cluster from a single command in a few minutes, and its declarative configuration makes Kubernetes upgrades atomic and safe.

The fundamental roles for the nodes and core functionality of Rancher Kubernetes Engine are represented in the following figure:

Figure 4.1: Component Overview - Rancher Kubernetes Engine #

 

While all Rancher Kubernetes Engine roles can be installed on a single system, for the best availability, performance and security, the recommended deployment of a Rancher Kubernetes Engine cluster is a pair of nodes for the control plane role, at least three etcd role-based nodes and three or more worker nodes.

Rancher Kubernetes Engine can run as a complete cluster on a single node or can be expanded into a multi-node cluster. Besides the core Kubernetes components, these are also configurable and included:

All of these components are configurable and can be swapped out for your implementation of choice. With these included components, you get a fully functional and CNCF-conformant cluster so you can start running apps right away.

Tip

Learn more information about Rancher Kubernetes Engine at https://rancher.com/docs/rke/latest/en/.

While all Rancher Kubernetes Engine roles can be installed on a single system, a multi-node cluster, is a more production-like approach and will be described in the deployment section.

Tip

To improve availability, performance and security, the recommended deployment of a Rancher Kubernetes Engine cluster is a pair of nodes for the control plane role, at least three etcd role-based nodes and three or more worker nodes.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is an adaptable and easy-to-manage platform that allows developers and administrators to deploy business-critical workloads on-premises, in the cloud and at the edge. It is a Linux operating system that is adaptable to any environment – optimized for performance, security and reliability. As a multimodal operating system that paves the way for IT transformation in the software-defined era, this simplifies multimodal IT, makes traditional IT infrastructure efficient and provides an engaging platform for developers. As a result, one can easily deploy and transition business-critical workloads across on-premises and public cloud environments.

Designed for interoperability, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server integrates into classical Unix and Windows environments, supports open standard interfaces for systems management, and has been certified for IPv6 compatibility. This modular, general purpose operating system runs on four processor architectures and is available with optional extensions that provide advanced capabilities for tasks such as real time computing and high availability clustering. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is optimized to run as a high performing guest on leading hypervisors and supports an unlimited number of virtual machines per physical system with a single subscription. This makes it the perfect guest operating system for virtual computing.

Leveraging the enterprise grade functionality of the operating system mentioned in the previous section, many compute platforms can be the foundation of the deployment:

Note

To complete self-testing of hardware with SUSE YES Certified Process, you can download and install the respective SUSE operating system support-pack version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and the YES test suite. Then run the tests per the instructions in the test kit, fixing any problems encountered and when corrected, re-run all tests to obtain clean test results. Submit the test results into the SUSE Bulletin System (SBS) for audit, review and validation.

Tip

Certified systems and hypervisors can be verified via SUSE YES Certified Bulletins and then can be leveraged as supported nodes for this deployment, as long as the certification refers to the respective version of the underlying SUSE operating system required.

Even with the broad certification and support model across the range of available HPE platform models, the following table summarizes which might be a best-practice selection for the various deployment types and focus areas:

As listed in the previous table, multiple server product-line and model options abound in the HPE server portfolio, as detailed in the following sections.

4.4.2 HPE ProLiant DL Rack Servers #

 

The HPE ProLiant DL family of servers are the most flexible, reliable, and performance-optimized HPE ProLiant rack servers—ever. HPE continues to provide industry-leading compute innovations. The new HPE ProLiant rack portfolio, with flexible choices and versatile design, along with improved energy efficiencies, ultimately lowers your TCO. Integrated with a simplified, but comprehensive management suite and industry-leading support, the HPE ProLiant rack portfolio delivers a more reliable, fast, and secure infrastructure solution, helps increase IT staff productivity, and accelerates service delivery. In addition, the rack portfolio is performance-optimized for multiapplication workloads to significantly increase the speed of IT operations and enable IT to respond to business needs of any size, faster.

Specific models that offer relevant choices for Enterprise Kubernetes are:

HPE ProLiant DL380

The industry-leading HPE DL380 2P/2U server with world-class performance and supreme versatility for multi-workload compute server delivers the latest in security, performance and expandability, backed by a comprehensive warranty. Standardize on the industry’s most trusted compute platform. The HPE DL380 server is securely designed to reduce costs and complexity, featuring:

• the First, Second, Third Generation Intel Xeon Processor Scalable Family with up to a 60% performance gain1 and 27% increase in cores2

• the HPE 2933 MT/s DDR4 SmartMemory supporting 3.0 TB

• support of 12 Gb/s SAS, and up to 20 NVMe drive plus a broad range of compute options

• HPE Persistent Memory offers unprecedented levels of performance for databases and analytic workloads to run everything from the most basic to mission-critical applications and deploy with confidence.

HPE ProLiant DL360

Adaptable for diverse workloads and environments, the compact 1U HPE DL360 server delivers security, agility and flexibility without compromise. It supports:

• the Intel Xeon Scalable processor with up to a 60% performance gain1 and 27% increase in cores2

• along with 2933 MT/s HPE DDR4 SmartMemory supporting up to 3.0 TB2 with an increase in performance of up to 82%3

• the added performance that HPE Persistent Memory6, HPE NVDIMMs7 and 10 NVMe bring, the HPE DL360 means business. Deploy, update, monitor and maintain with ease

• automating essential server life cycle management tasks with HPE OneView and HPE Integrated Lights Out to deploy this 2P secure platform for diverse workloads in space constrained environments.

Note

HPE Servers Support & OS Certification Matrices outlines the minimum version of SLE required for installation, yet later service pack releases may also be used and supported.

4.4.3 HPE Synergy Servers #

 

HPE Synergy, the first Composable Infrastructure, empowers IT to create and deliver new value easily and continuously. This single infrastructure reduces operational complexity for traditional workloads and increases operational velocity for the new breed of applications and services. Through a single interface, HPE Synergy composes compute, storage and fabric pools into any configuration for any application. It also enables a broad range of workloads — from bare metal, to virtual machines, to containers, to operational models like hybrid cloud and DevOps. HPE Synergy enables IT to rapidly react to new business demands with the following components:

• HPE Synergy 12000 Frames are uniquely architected as Composable Infrastructure (CI) to match the powerful 'infrastructure-as-code' capabilities of the HPE intelligent software architecture. Flexible access to compute, storage, and fabric resources allows for use and re-purposing. Linking multiple HPE Synergy Frames efficiently scales the infrastructure with a dedicated single view of the entire management network.

  • Creating multiple composable domains in the infrastructure can efficiently deliver available resources to the business. HPE Synergy Frames reduce complexity by using intelligent auto-discovery to find all available resources to accelerate workload deployments. This drives IT efficiency as the business grows and delivers balanced performance across resources to increase solution effectiveness.

• With HPE Synergy SY480 Compute Module, one gains operational efficiency and control, and can deploy IT resources quickly for any workload through a single interface. HPE Synergy is a powerful software-defined solution. HPE Synergy Composable Compute resources create pools of flexible compute capacity that can be configured almost instantly to rapidly provision infrastructure for a broad range of applications. The HPE Synergy SY480 Compute Module delivers an efficient and flexible two-socket workhorse to support most demanding workloads. Powered by:

  • Intel Xeon Scalable Family of processors

  • up to 4.5 TB DDR4, more storage capacity and controllers

  • a variety of GPU options within a composable architecture HPE Synergy SY480 Compute Module is the ideal platform for general-purpose enterprise workload performance now and in the future.

Note

HPE Servers Support & OS Certification Matrices outlines the minimum version of SLE required for installation, yet later service pack releases may also be used and supported.

Note

A sample bill of materials, in the Chapter 9, Appendix, cites the necessary quantites of all components, along with a reference to the minimum resource requirements needed by the software components.