4 Component model #

By using:

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

K3s is packaged as a single binary, which is about 50 megabytes in size. Bundled in that single binary is everything needed to run Kubernetes anywhere, including low-powered IoT and Edge-based devices. The binary includes:

The only OS dependencies are the Linux kernel itself and a proper dev, proc and sysfs mounts (this is done automatically on all modern Linux distributions). K3s bundles the Kubernetes components:

into combined processes that are presented as a simple server and agent model, as represented in the following figure:

Figure 4.1: Component Overview - K3s #

 

K3s 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 included:

All of these components are optional 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. K3s is now a CNCF Sandbox project, being the first Kubernetes distribution ever to be adopted into sandbox.

Tip

Learn more information about K3s

As K3s can be deployed on a single or multiple nodes, the next sections describe the suggested component layering approach.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro combines the assurance of enterprise-grade security and compliance with the immutability and portability of a modern, lightweight operating system. The top 4 features are:

As a result, you get an ultra-reliable infrastructure platform that is also simple to use and comes out-of-the-box with best-in-class compliance. Furthermore, SUSE’s flexible subscription model ensures enterprise assurance for any edge, embedded or IoT deployment without vendor lock-in. A free, evaluation copy can be downloaded or if the organization already has subscriptions, both install media and updates can be obtained from SUSE Customer Center.

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.

Designed and built with the unique requirements for edge servers in mind, Lenovo ThinkEdge Edge Servers are versatile enough to stretch the limitations of server locations, providing a variety of connectivity and security options and easily managed with Lenovo XClarity Controller.

Multiple edge server models exist in Lenovo Edge Servers portfolio, as detailed in the following sections.

4.4.1 Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server #

 

Note

The ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server is SUSE YES Certified Hardware.

Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server

The ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server is a purpose-built server that is half the width and significantly shorter than a traditional server, making it ideal for deployment in tight spaces. It can be mounted on a wall, stacked on a shelf or mounted in a rack. The ThinkSystem SE350 puts increased processing power, storage and network closer to where data is generated, allowing actions resulting from the analysis of that data to take place more quickly.

• 4–16 server cores with up to 256 GB of memory

• broad-wired and wireless connectivity

• rugged, extended operating temperature of 0–55°C, up to 40G shock & 3Grms vibration with optional dust filter

• up to 16 TB of SSD storage

• small form factors with flexible mounting options

• low-touch deployment

• highly secure with optional SED encrypted storage for user data, as well as motion and intrusion tamper detection

4.4.2 Lenovo ThinkEdge SE450 Edge Server #

 

Note

The ThinkEdge SE450 Edge Server is SUSE YES Certified Hardware.

Lenovo ThinkEdge SE450 Edge Server

The ThinkEdge SE450 Edge Server is a single-socket server, with a 2U height and short depth case that can go almost anywhere. It can be mounted on a wall, placed on the floor like a tower server, or mounted in a rack. This rugged edge server can handle continuous operating temperatures from 5°C to 45°C, and some configurations are designed to meet NEBS Level-3 and ETSI requirements for 96 hours operating excursions from –5°C to 55°C as well as tolerance to locations with high dust and vibration. The ThinkEdge SE450 Edge Server is based on the 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor and is designed to virtualize traditional IT applications as well as new transformative AI systems, providing the processing power, storage, accelerator, and networking technologies required for today’s edge workloads.

• 10-36 server cores with up to 1TB of memory

• broad-wired and wireless connectivity

• supports up to four single-width GPUs or two double-width GPUs

• offers up to four PCIe 4.0 slots plus a slot dedicated to the OCP adapter

• offers additional physical security features such as a chassis intrusion switch and a lockable front bezel

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.