First, we'll deploy a [Matchbox](https://github.com/coreos/matchbox) service and setup a network boot environment. Then, we'll declare a Kubernetes cluster in Terraform using the Typhoon Terraform module and power on machines. On PXE boot, machines will install Container Linux to disk, reboot into the disk install, and provision themselves as Kubernetes controllers or workers.
Controllers are provisioned as etcd peers and run `etcd-member` (etcd3) and `kubelet`. Workers are provisioned to run a `kubelet`. A one-time [bootkube](https://github.com/kubernetes-incubator/bootkube) bootstrap schedules an `apiserver`, `scheduler`, `controller-manager`, and `kube-dns` on controllers and runs `kube-proxy` and `flannel` or `calico` on each node. A generated `kubeconfig` provides `kubectl` access to the cluster.
* Terraform v0.9.2+ and [terraform-provider-matchbox](https://github.com/coreos/terraform-provider-matchbox) installed locally
## Machines
Collect a MAC address from each machine. For machines with multiple PXE-enabled NICs, pick one of the MAC addresses. MAC addresses will be used to match machines to profiles during network boot.
* 52:54:00:a1:9c:ae (node1)
* 52:54:00:b2:2f:86 (node2)
* 52:54:00:c3:61:77 (node3)
Configure each machine to boot from the disk [^1] through IPMI or the BIOS menu.
[^1]: Configuring "diskless" workers that always PXE boot is possible, but not in the scope of this tutorial.
```
ipmitool -H node1 -U USER -P PASS chassis bootdev disk options=persistent
```
During provisioning, you'll explicitly set the boot device to `pxe` for the next boot only. Machines will install (overwrite) the operting system to disk on PXE boot and reboot into the disk install.
!!! tip ""
Ask your hardware vendor to provide MACs and preconfigure IPMI, if possible. With it, you can rack new servers, `terraform apply` with new info, and power on machines that network boot and provision into clusters.
## DNS
Create a DNS A (or AAAA) record for each node's default interface. Create a record that resolves to each controller node (or re-use the node record if there's one controller).
* node1.example.com (node1)
* node2.example.com (node2)
* node3.example.com (node3)
* myk8s.example.com (node1)
Cluster nodes will be configured to refer to the control plane and themselves by these fully qualified names and they'll be used in generated TLS certificates.
## Matchbox
Matchbox is an open-source app that matches network-booted bare-metal machines (based on labels like MAC, UUID, etc.) to profiles to automate cluster provisioning.
Install Matchbox on a Kubernetes cluster or dedicated server.
* Installing on [Kubernetes](https://coreos.com/matchbox/docs/latest/deployment.html#kubernetes) (recommended)
* Installing on a [server](https://coreos.com/matchbox/docs/latest/deployment.html#download)
!!! tip
Deploy Matchbox as service that can be accessed by all of your bare-metal machines globally. This provides a single endpoint to use Terraform to manage bare-metal clusters at different sites. Typhoon will never include secrets in provisioning user-data so you may even deploy matchbox publicly.
Matchbox provides a TLS client-authenticated API that clients, like Terraform, can use to manage machine matching and profiles. Think of it like a cloud provider API, but for creating bare-metal instances.
[Generate TLS](https://coreos.com/matchbox/docs/latest/deployment.html#generate-tls-certificates) client credentials. Save the `ca.crt`, `client.crt`, and `client.key` where they can be referenced in Terraform configs.
Create a iPXE-enabled network boot environment. Configure PXE clients to chainload [iPXE](http://ipxe.org/cmd) and instruct iPXE clients to chainload from your Matchbox service's `/boot.ipxe` endpoint.
For networks already supporting iPXE clients, you can add a `default.ipxe` config.
For a small lab, you may wish to checkout the [quay.io/coreos/dnsmasq](https://quay.io/repository/coreos/dnsmasq) container image and [copy-paste examples](https://github.com/coreos/matchbox/blob/master/Documentation/network-setup.md#coreosdnsmasq).
Read about the [many ways](https://coreos.com/matchbox/docs/latest/network-setup.html) to setup a compliant iPXE-enabled network. There is quite a bit of flexibility:
* Continue using existing DHCP, TFTP, or DNS services
* Configure specific machines, subnets, or architectures to chainload from Matchbox
* Place Matchbox behind a menu entry (timeout and default to Matchbox)
!!! note ""
TFTP chainloding to modern boot firmware, like iPXE, avoids issues with old NICs and allows faster transfer protocols like HTTP to be used.
## Terraform Setup
Install [Terraform](https://www.terraform.io/downloads.html) v0.9.2+ on your system.
```sh
$ terraform version
Terraform v0.10.1
```
Add the [terraform-provider-matchbox](https://github.com/coreos/terraform-provider-matchbox) plugin binary for your system.
Reference the [variables docs](#variables) or the [variables.tf](https://github.com/poseidon/typhoon/blob/master/bare-metal/container-linux/kubernetes/variables.tf) source.
## ssh-agent
Initial bootstrapping requires `bootkube.service` be started on one controller node. Terraform uses `ssh-agent` to automate this step. Add your SSH private key to `ssh-agent`.
```sh
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
ssh-add -L
```
!!! warning
`terrafrom apply` will hang connecting to a controller if `ssh-agent` does not contain the SSH key.
## Apply
Initialize the config directory if this is the first use with Terraform.
Apply the changes. Terraform will generate bootkube assets to `asset_dir` and create Matchbox profiles (e.g. controller, worker) and matching rules via the Matchbox API.
```sh
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.copy-secrets.0: Provisioning with 'file'...
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.copy-secrets.2: Provisioning with 'file'...
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.copy-secrets.1: Provisioning with 'file'...
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.copy-secrets.0: Still creating... (10s elapsed)
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.copy-secrets.2: Still creating... (10s elapsed)
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.copy-secrets.1: Still creating... (10s elapsed)
...
```
Apply will then loop until it can successfully copy credentials to each machine and start the one-time Kubernetes bootstrap service. Proceed to the next step while this loops.
### Power
Power on each machine with the boot device set to `pxe` for the next boot only.
```sh
ipmitool -H node1.example.com -U USER -P PASS chassis bootdev pxe
ipmitool -H node1.example.com -U USER -P PASS power on
```
Machines will network boot, install Container Linux to disk, reboot into the disk install, and provision themselves as controllers or workers.
!!! tip ""
If this is the first test of your PXE-enabled network boot environment, watch the SOL console of a machine to spot any misconfigurations.
### Bootstrap
Wait for the `bootkube-start` step to finish bootstrapping the Kubernetes control plane. This may take 5-15 minutes depending on your network.
```
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.bootkube-start: Still creating... (6m10s elapsed)
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.bootkube-start: Still creating... (6m20s elapsed)
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.bootkube-start: Still creating... (6m30s elapsed)
module.bare-metal-mercury.null_resource.bootkube-start: Still creating... (6m40s elapsed)
To watch the bootstrap process in detail, SSH to the first controller and journal the logs.
```
$ ssh node1.example.com
$ journalctl -f -u bootkube
bootkube[5]: Pod Status: pod-checkpointer Running
bootkube[5]: Pod Status: kube-apiserver Running
bootkube[5]: Pod Status: kube-scheduler Running
bootkube[5]: Pod Status: kube-controller-manager Running
bootkube[5]: All self-hosted control plane components successfully started
bootkube[5]: Tearing down temporary bootstrap control plane...
```
## Verify
[Install kubectl](https://coreos.com/kubernetes/docs/latest/configure-kubectl.html) on your system. Use the generated `kubeconfig` credentials to access the Kubernetes cluster and list nodes.
On Container Linux clusters, install the `container-linux-update-operator` addon to coordinate reboots and drains when nodes auto-update. Otherwise, updates may not be applied until the next reboot.
| cached_install | Whether machines should PXE boot and install from the Matchbox `/assets` cache. Admin MUST have downloaded Container Linux images into the cache to use this | false | true |