About the Kubernetes NMState Operator - Kubernetes NMState | Networking

The Kubernetes NMState Operator provides a Kubernetes API for performing state-driven network configuration across the OpenShift Container Platform cluster’s nodes with NMState. The Kubernetes NMState Operator provides users with functionality to configure various network interface types, DNS, and routing on cluster nodes. Additionally, the daemons on the cluster nodes periodically report on the state of each node’s network interfaces to the API server.

Red Hat supports the Kubernetes NMState Operator in production environments on bare-metal, IBM Power, IBM Z, and LinuxONE installations only. For other platforms, the Kubernetes NMState Operator is a Technology Preview. See the following Technology Preview statement for support limitations when using Kubernetes NMState on platforms other than bare metal, IBM Power, IBM Z, and LinuxONE.

Kubernetes NMState Operator is a Technology Preview feature only. Technology Preview features are not supported with Red Hat production service level agreements (SLAs) and might not be functionally complete. Red Hat does not recommend using them in production. These features provide early access to upcoming product features, enabling customers to test functionality and provide feedback during the development process.

For more information about the support scope of Red Hat Technology Preview features, see https://access.redhat.com/support/offerings/techpreview/.

Before you can use NMState with OpenShift Container Platform, you must install the Kubernetes NMState Operator.

Installing the nmstate operator

Installing the Kubernetes NMState Operator

You must install the Kubernetes NMState Operator from the web console while logged in with administrator privileges. After it is installed, the Operator can deploy the NMState State Controller as a daemon set across all of the cluster nodes.

Procedure

Select Operators → OperatorHub.
In the search field below All Items, enter nmstate and click Enter to search for the Kubernetes NMState Operator.
Click on the Kubernetes NMState Operator search result.
Click on Install to open the Install Operator window.
Click Install to install the Operator.
After the Operator finishes installing, click View Operator.
Under Provided APIs, click Create Instance to open the dialog box for creating an instance of kubernetes-nmstate.
In the Name field of the dialog box, ensure the name of the instance is nmstate.

The name restriction is a known issue. The instance is a singleton for the entire cluster.
Accept the default settings and click Create to create the instance.

Summary

Once complete, the Operator has deployed the NMState State Controller as a daemon set across all of the cluster nodes.

Installing the Kubernetes NMState Operator using the CLI

You can also install the Kubernetes NMState Operator by using the OpenShift Container Platform CLI (oc).

Prerequisites

You have installed the OpenShift CLI (oc).
You are logged in as a user with cluster-admin privileges.

Procedure

Create the nmstate Operator namespace:

$ cat << EOF | oc apply -f -
apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
  labels:
    kubernetes.io/metadata.name: openshift-nmstate
    name: openshift-nmstate
  name: openshift-nmstate
spec:
  finalizers:
  - kubernetes
EOF

Create the OperatorGroup:

$ cat << EOF | oc apply -f -
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1
kind: OperatorGroup
metadata:
  annotations:
    olm.providedAPIs: NMState.v1.nmstate.io
  generateName: openshift-nmstate-
  name: openshift-nmstate-tn6k8
  namespace: openshift-nmstate
spec:
  targetNamespaces:
  - openshift-nmstate
EOF

Subscribe to the nmstate Operator:

$ cat << EOF| oc apply -f -
apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1
kind: Subscription
metadata:
  labels:
    operators.coreos.com/kubernetes-nmstate-operator.openshift-nmstate: ""
  name: kubernetes-nmstate-operator
  namespace: openshift-nmstate
spec:
  channel: stable
  installPlanApproval: Automatic
  name: kubernetes-nmstate-operator
  source: redhat-operators
  sourceNamespace: openshift-marketplace
EOF

Create instance of the nmstate operator:

$ cat << EOF | oc apply -f -
apiVersion: nmstate.io/v1
kind: NMState
metadata:
  name: nmstate
EOF

Verification

Confirm that the deployment for the nmstate operator is running:

oc get clusterserviceversion -n openshift-nmstate \
 -o custom-columns=Name:.metadata.name,Phase:.status.phase

Example output

Name                                             Phase
kubernetes-nmstate-operator.4.10.0-202203120157   Succeeded