docs/doc/source/security/kubernetes/using-container-backed-remote-clis-and-clients.rst

Use Container-backed Remote CLIs and Clients

Remote platform can be used in any shell after sourcing the generated remote CLI/client RC file. This RC file sets up the required environment variables and aliases for the remote commands.

• Consider adding the following command to your .login or shell rc file, such that your shells will automatically be initialized with the environment variables and aliases for the remote commands.

  Otherwise, execute it before proceeding:

  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# source remote_client_platform.sh

• You must have completed the configuration steps described in Configuring Container-backed Remote CLIs and Clients <security-configure-container-backed-remote-clis-and-clients> before proceeding.

• If you specified repositories that require authentication when configuring the container-backed remote , you must perform a docker login to that repository before using remote for the first time

• For simple StarlingX system and Kubernetes kubectl commands:

  Note

  The first usage of a remote command will be slow as it requires that the docker image supporting the remote CLIs/clients be pulled from the remote registry.

  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# system host-list
  +----+--------------+-------------+----------------+-------------+--------------+
  | id | hostname     | personality | administrative | operational | availability |
  +----+--------------+-------------+----------------+-------------+--------------+
  | 1  | controller-0 | controller  | unlocked       | enabled     | available    |
  | 2  | controller-1 | controller  | unlocked       | enabled     | available    |
  | 3  | compute-0    | worker      | unlocked       | enabled     | available    |
  | 4  | compute-1    | worker      | unlocked       | enabled     | available    |
  +----+--------------+-------------+----------------+-------------+--------------+
  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# kubectl -n kube-system get pods
  NAME                                       READY   STATUS      RESTARTS   AGE
  calico-kube-controllers-767467f9cf-wtvmr   1/1     Running     1          3d2h
  calico-node-j544l                          1/1     Running     1          3d
  calico-node-ngmxt                          1/1     Running     1          3d1h
  calico-node-qtc99                          1/1     Running     1          3d
  calico-node-x7btl                          1/1     Running     4          3d2h
  ceph-pools-audit-1569848400-rrpjq          0/1     Completed   0          12m
  ceph-pools-audit-1569848700-jhv5n          0/1     Completed   0          7m26s
  ceph-pools-audit-1569849000-cb988          0/1     Completed   0          2m25s
  coredns-7cf476b5c8-5x724                   1/1     Running     1          3d2h
  ...
  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd#

  Note

  See the procedure for configuring the platform certificate at install-update-the-starlingx-rest-and-web-server-certificate.

  If HTTPS is enabled for the StarlingX REST API Server on the system, copy the certificate of the that issued/signed the StarlingX REST API Server's certificate to the folder $HOME/remote_wd_cli on the remote machine and execute commands as follows:

  • For system commands:

    ~(keystone_admin)]$ system --ca-file ca.pem host-list

  • For dcmanager commands:

    ~(keystone_admin)]$ OS_CACERT=ca.pem
    ~(keystone_admin)]$ dcmanager subcloud list

  Note

  Some commands are designed to leave you in a shell prompt, for example:

  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# openstack

  or

  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# kubectl exec -ti <pod_name> -- /bin/bash

  In most cases, the remote will detect and handle these commands correctly. If you encounter cases that are not handled correctly, you can force-enable or disable the shell options using the <FORCE_SHELL=true> or <FORCE_NO_SHELL=true> variables before the command.

  For example:

  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# FORCE_SHELL=true kubectl exec -ti <pod_name> -- /bin/bash
  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# FORCE_NO_SHELL=true kubectl exec <pod_name> -- ls

  You cannot use both variables at the same time.

• If you need to run a remote command that references a local file, then that file must be copied to or created in the working directory specified in the -w option on the ./config_client.sh command.

  For example:

  root@myclient:/home/user# cp /<someDir>/test.yml $HOME/remote_cli_wd/test.yml
  root@myclient:/home/user# cd $HOME/remote_cli_wd
  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# kubectl -n kube-system  create -f test.yml
  pod/test-pod created
  root@myclient:/home/user/remote_cli_wd# kubectl -n kube-system  delete -f test.yml
  pod/test-pod deleted

• For Helm commands:

  % cd $HOME/remote_cli_wd

  Note

  When using helm, any command that requires access to a helm repository (managed locally) will require that you be in the $HOME/remote_cli_wd directory and use the --home ./.helm option. For the host local installation, it requires the users $HOME and ends up in $HOME/.config and $HOME/.cache/helm.

  % helm --home ./.helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
  % helm --home ./.helm repo update
  % helm --home ./.helm repo list
  % helm --home ./.helm search repo
  % helm --home ./.helm install wordpress bitnami/wordpress

Related information

Configuring Container-backed Remote CLIs and Clients <security-configure-container-backed-remote-clis-and-clients>

Installing Kubectl and Helm Clients Directly on a Host <security-install-kubectl-and-helm-clients-directly-on-a-host>

Configure Remote Helm v2 Client <configure-remote-helm-client-for-non-admin-users>