Prerequisites

• Your workstation: Install Helm v3.0 or later.
• Kubernetes cluster:

  • Ensure that each node fulfills the installation requirements.

  • Install Fleet using Helm.

    helm repo add fleet https://rancher.github.io/fleet-helm-charts/
    helm -n cattle-fleet-system install --create-namespace --wait fleet-crd fleet/fleet-crd
    helm -n cattle-fleet-system install --create-namespace --wait fleet fleet/fleet
    

    Allow some time for the deployment of Fleet components in the cattle-fleet-system namespace.

Use this script to check the Longhorn environment for potential issues.

Installing Longhorn

1. In your GitOps repository, create a fleet.yaml file that includes the following:

   • Parameter for installing Longhorn in the longhorn-system namespace

   defaultNamespace: longhorn-system
   

   • Parameters for ignoring modified CRDs

   diff:
     comparePatches:
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: engineimages.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: nodes.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: volumes.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: engines.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: instancemanagers.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: replicas.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: settings.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
   

   • Parameters for specifying the version of the Longhorn Helm chart to be installed

   helm:
     repo: https://charts.longhorn.io
     chart: longhorn
     version: v1.7.3 # Replace with the Longhorn version you'd like to install or upgrade to
     releaseName: longhorn
   

   Example of a complete fleet.yaml file:

   defaultNamespace: longhorn-system
   helm:
     repo: https://charts.longhorn.io
     chart: longhorn
     version: v1.7.3
     releaseName: longhorn
   diff:
     comparePatches:
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: engineimages.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: nodes.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
     - apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
       kind: CustomResourceDefinition
       name: volumes.longhorn.io
       operations:
       - {"op": "replace", "path": "/status"}
   

2. Create a GitRepo custom resource (CR) that points to your GitOps repository.

   cat > longhorn-gitrepo.yaml << "EOF"
   apiVersion: fleet.cattle.io/v1alpha1
   kind: GitRepo
   metadata:
     name: longhorn
     namespace: fleet-local
   spec:
     repo: https://github.com/your-username/your-gitops-repo.git
     revision: main
     paths:
     - .
   EOF
   

3. Apply the GitRepo CR.

   kubectl apply -f longhorn-gitrepo.yaml
   

4. Verify that the GitRepo CR was created and synced successfully.

   kubectl -n fleet-local get gitrepo -w
   

5. Verify that Longhorn was installed successfully.

   kubectl -n longhorn-system get pod
   

   Example of a successful Longhorn installation:

   NAME                                                READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
   longhorn-ui-b7c844b49-w25g5                         1/1     Running   0          2m41s
   longhorn-manager-pzgsp                              1/1     Running   0          2m41s
   longhorn-driver-deployer-6bd59c9f76-lqczw           1/1     Running   0          2m41s
   longhorn-csi-plugin-mbwqz                           2/2     Running   0          100s
   csi-snapshotter-588457fcdf-22bqp                    1/1     Running   0          100s
   csi-snapshotter-588457fcdf-2wd6g                    1/1     Running   0          100s
   csi-provisioner-869bdc4b79-mzrwf                    1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-provisioner-869bdc4b79-klgfm                    1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-resizer-6d8cf5f99f-fd2ck                        1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-provisioner-869bdc4b79-j46rx                    1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-snapshotter-588457fcdf-bvjdt                    1/1     Running   0          100s
   csi-resizer-6d8cf5f99f-68cw7                        1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-attacher-7bf4b7f996-df8v6                       1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-attacher-7bf4b7f996-g9cwc                       1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-attacher-7bf4b7f996-8l9sw                       1/1     Running   0          101s
   csi-resizer-6d8cf5f99f-smdjw                        1/1     Running   0          101s
   instance-manager-b34d5db1fe1e2d52bcfb308be3166cfc   1/1     Running   0          114s
   engine-image-ei-df38d2e5-cv6nc                      1/1     Running   0          114s
   

6. Create an NGINX Ingress controller with basic authentication to access the Longhorn UI. Authentication to the Longhorn UI is not enabled by default.

7. Access the Longhorn UI.