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Openshift ACM

OpenShift Advanced Cluster Management (ACM) Content Bundle

This content bundle provides automation for deploying and managing Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management (ACM) for Kubernetes on OpenShift clusters. ACM extends OpenShift's capabilities with multi-cluster management, policy-based governance, and application lifecycle management.

Overview

Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes provides:

  • Centralized Management: Control multiple Kubernetes clusters from a single console
  • Policy-Based Governance: Define and enforce policies across your entire cluster fleet
  • Application Lifecycle Management: Deploy applications to multiple clusters with consistent governance
  • Observability: Central visibility into cluster health and compliance
  • Security and Compliance: Built-in compliance frameworks and security controls

This content bundle streamlines the installation, configuration, and management of ACM in your OpenShift environment.

Prerequisites

Before deploying ACM, ensure you have:

  • A fully operational OpenShift cluster (4.12+)
  • Sufficient cluster resources:
  • At least 3 worker nodes
  • Minimum 8GB RAM per worker
  • Minimum 4 vCPUs per worker
  • Valid Red Hat subscription with ACM entitlements
  • Cluster administrator privileges

Installation Methods

There are two ways to install ACM with this content bundle:

Method 1: During OpenShift Deployment

Apply the openshift-config-acm profile before deploying your OpenShift cluster:

# Apply the ACM profile to your cluster configuration
drpcli clusters addprofile demo openshift-config-acm

# Configure ACM parameters if needed (using defaults if not specified)
drpcli profiles set demo param openshift/acm-channel to "release-2.11"
drpcli profiles set demo param openshift/acm-namespace to "open-cluster-management"

With this profile applied, the OpenShift deployment process will automatically install ACM after the cluster is operational.

Method 2: Post-Deployment Installation

If your OpenShift cluster is already deployed, you can install ACM using the provided blueprint:

# Get your cluster UUID (replace "demo" with your cluster name)
CLUSTER_UUID=$(drpcli clusters show Name:demo | jq -r .Uuid)

# Create a work order to run the ACM installation blueprint
drpcli clusters work_order add $CLUSTER_UUID openshift-cluster-acm-install

Configuration Parameters

The following parameters customize the ACM installation:

Parameter Description Default Value
openshift/acm-channel Subscription channel for ACM operator release-2.11
openshift/acm-namespace Target namespace for ACM open-cluster-management
openshift/acm-operator-name Name of ACM operator subscription advanced-cluster-management
openshift/acm-install-timeout Timeout for operator installation (seconds) 1500
openshift/acm-install-mcm-timeout Timeout for Multi-Cluster Hub installation (seconds) 3600
openshift/acm-enabled Flag to enable ACM installation true (when profile is applied)

Installation Process

The ACM installation process consists of these main steps:

  1. Creating the target namespace if it doesn't exist
  2. Deploying the OperatorGroup configuration
  3. Creating the operator subscription from Red Hat Marketplace
  4. Waiting for the operator to be installed (with configurable timeout)
  5. Deploying the MultiClusterHub instance
  6. Waiting for the MultiClusterHub to be ready (with configurable timeout)

Managing ACM

Accessing ACM

Once installed, ACM is integrated into the OpenShift web console:

  1. Log into the OpenShift web console
  2. Navigate to the menu and find the "Multicluster" section

Alternatively, you can use the oc command line to interact with ACM:

# Get MultiClusterHub status
oc get multiclusterhub -n open-cluster-management

# Check ACM pod status
oc get pods -n open-cluster-management

Managed Clusters

To view and manage your connected clusters:

# List managed clusters
oc get managedclusters -A

Cleanup and Removal

If you need to remove ACM from your cluster, use the provided cleanup blueprint:

# Get your cluster UUID
CLUSTER_UUID=$(drpcli clusters show demo | jq -r .Uuid)

# Create a work order to run the ACM cleanup blueprint
drpcli clusters work_order on $CLUSTER_UUID openshift-cluster-acm-cleanup

The cleanup process removes: 1. MultiClusterHub instance 2. Operator subscription 3. ClusterServiceVersions 4. OperatorGroup 5. Supporting resources (secrets, configmaps, etc.) 6. ACM namespace

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. Timeout during installation: Increase the timeout parameters if your environment has limited resources or network constraints. 

    drpcli profiles set demo param openshift/acm-install-timeout to 3000
drpcli profiles set demo param openshift/acm-install-mcm-timeout to 7200

  2. Pod scheduling failures: Check for node taints and resource constraints. 

    oc get nodes -o custom-columns=NAME:.metadata.name,TAINTS:.spec.taints
oc describe node <node-name> | grep -A 5 Capacity

  3. MultiClusterHub stuck in pending state: Check for resource issues or networking problems. 

    oc get events -n open-cluster-management
oc describe multiclusterhub multiclusterhub -n open-cluster-management

Collecting Diagnostics

For comprehensive diagnostics:

# Use the must-gather tool for ACM-specific logs
oc adm must-gather --image=registry.redhat.io/rhacm2/acm-must-gather-rhel8:v2.8 --dest-dir=acm-logs

Support

For issues or questions: - Check the Digital Rebar documentation - Review the ACM documentation - Contact RackN support

License

RackN License - See documentation for details.