chapter2.md

Deploy AMQ Interconnect in Region-2

In this second chapter, you'll be working on Region-2, we call it Cluster-2. The picture below illustrates the deployment process you're about to perform.

As above pictured and similarly done for Region-1, two different Operators are at play. The AMQ Interconnect Operator will deploy two nodes (Routers). Then it links them to form a mesh of size two and uses the AMQ Certificate Manager to secure the connection between both.

While working with the instructions that follow, ensure you're logged in to the OCP environment corresponding to Region-2.

1. Create Secret from Cluster-1's certificate

   First, create the new Cluster-2 namespace, for example:

   oc new-project amq-cluster2
   

   Then, from the same folder location where you obtained the Certificate, create the Secret with:

   oc create secret generic cluster2-inter-router-tls --from-file=cluster2-inter-router-tls
   

1. Install AMQ's Certificate Manager Operator

   Note: if you're on Economy class, and you're using the same OpenShift environment to simulate both regions, AMQ's Certificate Manager Operator should already be available, you can ignore this section. Complete the instructions below otherwise.

   As previously done for Cluster-1, as an admin user, navigate to:

   • Web Console ➡ Operators ➡ OperatorHub ➡ AMQ Certificate Manager ➡ Install ➡ Subscribe

     (at the time of writing: v1.0.0)

   This will trigger a cluster wide installation. To view the running pod execute:

   oc get pods -n openshift-operators
   

   Be patient: this action may take some time as OpenShift may need to pull the Operator's image from a remote repository

   You should see something similar to:

   NAME                                       READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
   cert-manager-controller-7667b78746-gk7x9   1/1     Running   0          8m48s
   

1. Install AMQ's Interconnect Operator

   Install AMQ's Interconnect Operator:

   • Web Console ➡ Operators ➡ OperatorHub ➡ AMQ Interconnect ➡ Install

     (at the time of writing: v1.1.0)

   Select amq-cluster2 as the target namespace, and click 'Subscribe'.

   Be patient: this action may take some time as OpenShift may need to pull the Operator's image from a remote repository.

   This will trigger the operator's installation. To view the running pod execute:

   oc get pods -n amq-cluster2
   

   You should see something similar to:

   NAME                                    READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
   interconnect-operator-84f7fcc8b-2x225   1/1     Running   0          28s
   

1. Deploy an Interconnect Routing layer

   Once the operators running, deploy the Interconnect nodes:

   From namespace amq-cluster2:

   • Operators ➡ Installed Operators ➡ AMQ Interconnect ➡ AMQ Interconnect ➡ Create Interconnect

   Note: the default YAML content defines an Interconnect of size 2 which indicates the Operator to deploy 2 linked router nodes.

   Review the default YAML definition and update the following:

   metadata: name: cluster2-router-mesh
   spec: sslProfiles: (view sample below)
   spec: interRouterConnectors: (view sample below)

   The YAML should include 2 Routers and look as follows:

   apiVersion: interconnectedcloud.github.io/v1alpha1
   kind: Interconnect
   metadata:
     name: cluster2-router-mesh
     namespace: amq-cluster2
   spec:
     deploymentPlan:
       size: 2
       role: interior
       placement: Any
     sslProfiles:
     - name: inter-cluster-tls
       credentials: cluster2-inter-router-tls
       caCert: cluster2-inter-router-tls
     interRouterConnectors:
     - host: [HERE THE URL TO CLUSTER-1 PORT 55671]
       port: 443
       verifyHostname: false
       sslProfile: inter-cluster-tls

   Important: Ensure the field's host URL is configured with the Route URL you kept from Cluster-1.

   Example:

   • if Cluster-1 was deployed in a CodeReady Containers OpenShift environment, the field host would contain a value similar to:

       - host: cluster1-router-mesh-55671-amq-cluster1.apps-crc.testing

   Click 'Create' to kick off the installation. To view the running pods corresponding to the Interconnect nodes execute:

   oc get pods -n amq-cluster2
   

   You should see something similar to:

   NAME                                     READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
   cluster2-router-mesh-594f87df49-gm6zr    1/1     Running   0          2m34s
   cluster2-router-mesh-594f87df49-tjfpj    1/1     Running   0          2m34s
   interconnect-operator-5bdb444f96-ks9ct   1/1     Running   0          32m
   

   Note: later in this chapter you will open Interconnect's web console to visually validate the mesh is well formed.

1. Expose AMQPS port

   As previously done for Cluster-1, we need to expose the listener's port so that external clients can connect to produce/consume messages.

   

   From namespace amq-cluster2 navigate to:

   • Web Console ➡ Operators ➡ Installed Operators ➡ AMQ Interconnect ➡ AMQ Interconnect ➡ cluster2-router-mesh ➡ YAML

   Note: the default AMQPS port is 5671 which is the one to expose.

   Review the default YAML definition:

   spec: listeners: - port 5671

   Include the parameter expose: true. You should see the following:

       - port: 5671
         sslProfile: default
         expose: true

   Click Save. The operator watching the cluster should trigger the creation of a route pointing to the exposed port:

   cluster2-router-mesh-5671
   

   Obtain the route's URL so that we can configure external clients to access Interconnect. Run the following command:

   oc get route cluster2-router-mesh-5671 -o=jsonpath={.spec.host}
   

   Take note of the URL to configure Fuse later in the tutorial.

Validate deployments

After deploying both clusters and link them together, it is a good idea to get a visual using Interconnect's web console. To open the console, follow the instructions below.

From namespace amq-cluster2, navigate to:

• Web Console ➡ Networking ➡ Routes

And click on the HTTPS link associated with the route cluster2-router-mesh-8080 which should open Interconnet's console and present connection parameters.

Use the following parameter values:

• Address: (default is valid)
• Port: 443
• User name: guest@cluster2-router-mesh
• Password: secret password (see below)

You can obtain the password from the Secret generated by the Operator, run the following command:

• linux:

  oc get secret cluster2-router-mesh-users -o=jsonpath={.data.guest} | base64 -d
  

• macos:

  oc get secret cluster2-router-mesh-users -o=jsonpath={.data.guest} | base64 -D
  

Click 'Connect'.

Once connected you should see listed 4 different routers, corresponding to the a pair from Cluster-1 and the pair from Cluster-2.

The Topology tab should render how both clusters are linked together to form a single Routing Layer mesh.

The picture above illustrates 4 Router nodes (in grey), and the client console (in blue) connected to the network that allows us to visualise the Mesh.

The bottom 2 Router nodes correspond to Region-1, and the 2 Router nodes on top correspond to Region-2 where the console is connected.

Note the following facts:

• both Region-1 nodes are inter-connected (botton horizontal line)
• both Region-2 nodes are inter-connected (top horizontal line)
• Each Region-2 Router node inter-connects to one Region-1 Router node.

An important observation to do in the picture above is that the cross-region links (vertical lines) have been load-balanced by Region-1, the connections have been distributed. However both cross-region connections could have landed into the same Region-1 Router node.

---

Click the link to the Next chapter when ready.