How to Install and Configure OpenShift Origin PaaS Server on Ubuntu 20.04

OpenShift Origin, now known as OKD (OpenShift Kubernetes Distribution), is an open-source platform-as-a-service (PaaS) that allows developers to build, deploy, and manage containerized applications. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to install and configure OpenShift Origin on Ubuntu 20.04. Whether you are using a Windows VPS UK or any other VPS solution, OpenShift Origin can be deployed to enhance your container management capabilities.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following:

• An Ubuntu 20.04 LTS server, which could be hosted on a UK Windows VPS, Windows Virtual Private Server Hosting, or any Windows VPS Hosting UK environment.
• At least 4 GB of RAM for the OpenShift cluster node.
• Root or sudo privileges on your server.

Step 1: Update Your System

As always, start by updating your system to ensure all packages are up to date. Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Docker

OpenShift uses Docker as its container runtime. To install Docker, run the following commands:

sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu focal stable"
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce -y

After the installation, start and enable Docker:

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

Step 3: Install OpenShift Origin (OKD)

Next, download and install the OpenShift Origin CLI tools. These tools allow you to interact with your OpenShift cluster.

curl -LO https://github.com/openshift/origin/releases/download/v3.11.0/openshift-origin-client-tools-v3.11.0-0cbc58b-linux-64bit.tar.gz
tar -xvf openshift-origin-client-tools-v3.11.0-0cbc58b-linux-64bit.tar.gz
sudo mv openshift-origin-client-tools-v3.11.0-0cbc58b-linux-64bit/oc /usr/local/bin/

Step 4: Start OpenShift Cluster

With the OpenShift CLI (oc) installed, you can now start the OpenShift cluster. Use the following command to deploy a local cluster:

oc cluster up

This will start a single-node OpenShift cluster on your local machine.

Step 5: Access the OpenShift Web Console

Once the cluster is up and running, you can access the OpenShift web console by navigating to https://127.0.0.1:8443/console in your web browser. You can log in using the default developer account:

• Username: developer
• Password: developer

If you prefer to use the administrative account, the username is system:admin.

Step 6: Configure Persistent Storage (Optional)

If you need persistent storage for your applications, configure a persistent volume (PV) in OpenShift. Here’s an example of a simple PV configuration:

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv0001
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: 5Gi
  accessModes:
    - ReadWriteOnce
  hostPath:
    path: "/mnt/data"

Apply the configuration with the following command:

oc apply -f pv.yaml

Step 7: Deploy an Application

You can now deploy an application to your OpenShift cluster. For example, to deploy an Nginx application, run the following command:

oc new-app nginx

OpenShift will automatically pull the Nginx image, create a deployment, and expose the service.

Step 8: Expose the Application

To make your application accessible from outside the cluster, expose the service with a route:

oc expose svc/nginx

This will create a public URL for your Nginx application that you can access in your web browser.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully installed and configured OpenShift Origin PaaS server on Ubuntu 20.04. OpenShift Origin provides a powerful platform for managing containerized applications. Whether you are deploying your cluster on a Windows VPS UK, Windows Virtual Private Server Hosting, or Windows VPS Italy, OpenShift simplifies the process of building, deploying, and scaling applications in the cloud.