HackWeek 20: Uyuni SUSE Manager containerization project

Logistics

• This is the right place to record progress and plans
• Rocket.Chat for discussions
• Official HackWeek page for announcements
• A concluding Lightning Talk Slot was booked for a presentation of results

Objectives

1. have a lot of fun!
2. learn about container building (buildah)
3. learn about container orchestration (podman, k3s)
4. learn about roadblocks in delivering Uyuni as containers

Conventions

• all development happens on the Uyuni containers branch/PR
• all new files are to be added in the containers/ directory, for now
• we use Dockerfiles (built with docker build or buildah), locally for now

Current plans

1. create a "fat" container with everything needed for a Proxy

• start from https://github.com/SUSE/spacewalk/wiki/Proxy-container
• find out which directories need to be mounted externally
  • surely: one for configuration/answer files/certs, one for the Squid cache, one for logs
  • we need to see if there are others and why
  • for any directory we decide not to mount for a given reason, document it in the Dockerfile)
• find out how it is best to specify configuration parameters (environment variables? answer files?)
• pass the machine-id as parameter
• add a startup (Python?) script. Figure out registration to the Server, certs
• ensure the Proxy works (manual test)
• ensure the Proxy container can be killed and restarted. With the same mount points and parameters, it should come back to full functionality ("proto-HA")

2. try to slim down the Proxy container

• remove traditional stack processes/packages, if possible
• split out a first component (eg. salt-broker) into another container. In parallel:
  • try orchestration with Podman
  • try orchestration with k3s/Helm
• try to skip packaging for one of the packages (eg. salt-broker) - sources straight from git to image

3. create a "fat" container with everything needed for a Server

• start from https://gitlab.suse.de/mbologna/sumadocker/-/tree/saltcontainer
• find out which directories need to be mounted externally. Starting point: HA paper
• add a startup (Python?) script
• try until it breaks

4. try to slim down the Server container

• carve PostgreSQL out. Try Postgres-in-containers or outside of them
• disable Cobbler. What needs to be done in order to make Cobbler "optional"?
• disable or remove the traditional stack

5. other research

• we will need a solution about commandline tools. Would it be possible to create a UI around them like Rancher does?