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Install Multi-Cluster CN2 on Rancher RKE2

Use this procedure to install CN2 in a multi-cluster deployment.

In a multi-cluster deployment, CN2 is the central networking platform and CNI plug-in for multiple distributed workload clusters. The Contrail controller runs in the Kubernetes control plane in the central cluster, and the Contrail data plane components run on the worker nodes in the distributed workload clusters.

To install CN2 in a multi-cluster deployment, you first create the central cluster and then you attach the distributed workload clusters to the central cluster one by one. As with the single-cluster deployment, you'll start with a fresh Rancher RKE2 cluster with no CNI plug-in installed and then you'll install CN2 on it.

The manifest that you will use to create the central cluster in this example procedure is k8s/multi-cluster/central_cluster_deployer_example.yaml. The procedure assumes that you've placed this manifest into a manifests directory.

The procedures in this section show basic examples of how you can use the provided manifests to create the specified CN2 deployment. You're not limited to the deployment described in this section nor are you limited to using the provided manifests. CN2 supports a wide range of deployments that are too numerous to cover in detail. Use the provided examples as a starting point to roll your own manifest for your specific situation.

  1. Create the central cluster.

    Follow the example procedure in Create a Rancher RKE2 Cluster or you can use any other method. Create the cluster with no CNI plug-in.

    Tailor the procedure with the desired number of server (control plane) and agent (worker) nodes accordingly.

  2. Install CN2 on the central cluster.
    1. Apply the central cluster manifest. This manifest creates the namespaces and other resources required by the central cluster. It also creates the contrail-k8s-deployer deployment, which deploys CN2 and provides life cycle management for the CN2 components.
    2. Check that all pods are now up. This might take a few minutes.
    You've now created the central cluster.
  3. Follow Attach a Workload Cluster to create and attach a distributed workload cluster to the central cluster.
  4. Repeat step 3 for every workload cluster you want to create and attach.
  5. (Optional) Run postflight checks. See Run Preflight and Postflight Checks.
    Note:

    Run postflight checks from the central cluster only.