AWS FIPS: Create a Managed Cluster Using the DKP CLI

In previous steps, you created a new Management cluster, which is self-managed. When you use these steps to create new Managed clusters, they will become Attached clusters under your Management Cluster.

When creating Managed clusters, you do not need to create and move CAPI objects, or install the Kommander component. Those tasks are only done on Management clusters!

Choose a Workspace for the New Managed Cluster

Your new managed cluster needs to be part of either a new Workspace or an existing Workspace.

To create a new Workspace, follow the instructions to Create a Workspace.

To find the existing Workspaces, use this command:

CODE

kubectl get workspace -A

When you have the Workspace name, set the WORKSPACE_NAMESPACE environment variable:

CODE

export WORKSPACE_NAMESPACE=<workspace_namespace>

Name Your Cluster

Follow these steps:

Give your cluster a unique name suitable for your environment.
In AWS, it is critical that the name is unique, as no two clusters in the same AWS account can have the same name.
Set the environment variable:
CODE
```
export CLUSTER_NAME=<aws-additional>
```

The cluster name may only contain the following characters: a-z, 0-9, ., and -. Cluster creation will fail if the name has capital letters. See Kubernetes for more naming information.

3. Execute this command to create your Kubernetes cluster using any relevant flags but note that the --self-managed is absent so that this cluster can be attached to your previously created Management Cluster.

Execute this command:

CODE

dkp create cluster aws \
--cluster-name=${CLUSTER_NAME} \
--additional-tags=owner=$(whoami) \
--with-aws-bootstrap-credentials=true \
--kubernetes-version=v1.25.4+fips.0 \
--kubernetes-image-repository=docker.io/mesosphere \
--namespace=${WORKSPACE_NAMESPACE}

If your environment uses HTTP/HTTPS proxies, you must include the flags --http-proxy, --https-proxy, and --no-proxy and their related values in this command for it to be successful. More information is available in Configuring an HTTP/HTTPS Proxy.

Manually Attach a DKP CLI Cluster to the Management Cluster

Find out the name of the created Cluster, so you can reference it later:
CODE
```
kubectl -n <workspace_namespace> get clusters
```

Attach the cluster by creating a KommanderCluster:

CODE

cat << EOF | kubectl apply -f -
apiVersion: kommander.mesosphere.io/v1beta1
kind: KommanderCluster
metadata:
  name: <cluster_name>
  namespace: <workspace_namespace>
spec:
  kubeconfigRef:
    name: <cluster_name>-kubeconfig
  clusterRef:
    capiCluster:
      name: <cluster_name>
EOF

Once you have existing clusters or want to create new clusters to attach, there are many ways to attach a cluster with various requirements and restrictions. To see all the options, visit the section in documentation Day 2 - Attach an Existing Kubernetes Cluster.

Next Step:

Day 2 - Cluster Operations Management