You reviewed details about the OpenShift Container Platform installation and update processes.
You read the documentation on selecting a cluster installation method and preparing it for users.
If you use a firewall and plan to use Telemetry, you configured the firewall to allow the sites required by your cluster.
You reviewed your VMware platform licenses. Red Hat does not place any restrictions on your VMware licenses, but some VMware infrastructure components require licensing.
You can install OpenShift Container Platform on vSphere by using installer-provisioned or user-provisioned infrastructure. The default installation type uses installer-provisioned infrastructure, where the installation program provisions the underlying infrastructure for the cluster. You can also install OpenShift Container Platform on infrastructure that you provide. If you do not use infrastructure that the installation program provisions, you must manage and maintain the cluster resources yourself.
See the Installation process for more information about installer-provisioned and user-provisioned installation processes.
The steps for performing a user-provisioned infrastructure installation are provided as an example only. Installing a cluster with infrastructure you provide requires knowledge of the vSphere platform and the installation process of OpenShift Container Platform. Use the user-provisioned infrastructure installation instructions as a guide; you are free to create the required resources through other methods. |
Installer-provisioned infrastructure allows the installation program to pre-configure and automate the provisioning of resources required by OpenShift Container Platform.
Installing a cluster on vSphere: You can install OpenShift Container Platform on vSphere by using installer-provisioned infrastructure installation with no customization.
Installing a cluster on vSphere with customizations: You can install OpenShift Container Platform on vSphere by using installer-provisioned infrastructure installation with the default customization options.
Installing a cluster on vSphere with network customizations: You can install OpenShift Container Platform on installer-provisioned vSphere infrastructure, with network customizations. You can customize your OpenShift Container Platform network configuration during installation, so that your cluster can coexist with your existing IP address allocations and adhere to your network requirements.
Installing a cluster on vSphere in a restricted network: You can install a cluster on VMware vSphere infrastructure in a restricted network by creating an internal mirror of the installation release content. You can use this method to deploy OpenShift Container Platform on an internal network that is not visible to the internet.
User-provisioned infrastructure requires the user to provision all resources required by OpenShift Container Platform.
Installing a cluster on vSphere with user-provisioned infrastructure: You can install OpenShift Container Platform on VMware vSphere infrastructure that you provision.
Installing a cluster on vSphere with network customizations with user-provisioned infrastructure: You can install OpenShift Container Platform on VMware vSphere infrastructure that you provision with customized network configuration options.
Installing a cluster on vSphere in a restricted network with user-provisioned infrastructure: OpenShift Container Platform can be installed on VMware vSphere infrastructure that you provision in a restricted network.
You must install the OpenShift Container Platform cluster on a VMware vSphere version 6 or 7 instance that meets the requirements for the components that you use.
Component | Minimum supported versions | Description |
---|---|---|
Hypervisor |
vSphere 6.5 and later with HW version 13 |
This version is the minimum version that Red Hat Enterprise Linux CoreOS (RHCOS) supports. See the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 supported hypervisors list. |
Storage with in-tree drivers |
vSphere 6.5 and later |
This plugin creates vSphere storage by using the in-tree storage drivers for vSphere included in OpenShift Container Platform. |
Optional: Networking (NSX-T) |
vSphere 6.5U3 or vSphere 6.7U2 and later |
vSphere 6.5U3 or vSphere 6.7U2+ are required for OpenShift Container Platform. VMware’s NSX Container Plugin (NCP) is certified with OpenShift Container Platform 4.6 and NSX-T 3.x+. |
If you use a vSphere version 6.5 instance, consider upgrading to 6.7U3 or 7.0 before you install OpenShift Container Platform.
You must ensure that the time on your ESXi hosts is synchronized before you install OpenShift Container Platform. See Edit Time Configuration for a Host in the VMware documentation. |
Uninstalling a cluster on vSphere that uses installer-provisioned infrastructure: You can remove a cluster that you deployed on VMware vSphere infrastructure that used installer-provisioned infrastructure.