Enhancements

This section outlines new features and enhancements introduced in the Mirantis Container Cloud release 2.9.0. For the list of enhancements in the Cluster release 5.16.0 and Cluster release 6.16.0 that are supported by the Container Cloud release 2.9.0, see the 5.16.0 and 6.16.0 sections.


Container Cloud clusters based on Equinix Metal

Introduced support for the Equinix Metal cloud provider. Equinix Metal integrates a fully automated bare metal infrastructure at software speed.

Now, you can deploy managed clusters that are based on the Equinix Metal management or regional clusters or on top of the AWS-based management cluster.

Using the Equinix Metal management cluster, you can also deploy additional regional clusters that are based the OpenStack, AWS, vSphere, or Equinix Metal cloud providers to deploy and operate managed clusters of different provider types or configurations from a single Container Cloud management plane.

The Equinix Metal based managed clusters also include a Ceph cluster that can be configured either automatically or manually before or after the cluster deployment.

Integration of Container Cloud to Lens

Implemented the Container Cloud integration to Lens. Using the Container Cloud web UI and the Lens extension, you can now add any type of Container Cloud clusters to Lens for further inspection and monitoring.

The following options are now available in the More action icon menu of each deployed cluster:

  • Add cluster to Lens

  • Open cluster in Lens

New bootstrap node for additional regional clusters

Added the possibility to use a new bootstrap node for deployment of additional regional clusters. You can now deploy regional clusters not only on the bootstrap node where you originally deployed the related management cluster, but also on a new node.

TLS certificates for management cluster applications

Implemented the possibility to configure TLS certificates for Keycloak and Container Cloud web UI on new management clusters.

Caution

Adding of TLS certificates for Keycloak is not supported on existing clusters deployed using the Container Cloud release earlier than 2.9.0.

Default Keycloak authorization in Container Cloud web UI

For security reasons, updated the Keycloak authorization logic. The Keycloak single sign-on (SSO) feature that was optional in previous releases is now default and only possible login option for the Container Cloud web UI.

While you are logged in using the Keycloak SSO, you can:

  • Download a cluster kubeconfig without a password

  • Log in to an MKE cluster without having to sign in again

  • Use the StackLight endpoints without having to sign in again

Note

Keycloak is exposed using HTTPS with self-signed TLS certificates that are not trusted by web browsers.

To use your own TLS certificates for Keycloak, refer to Operations Guide: Configure TLS certificates for management cluster applications.

SSH keys management for mcc-user

Implemented management of SSH keys only for the universal mcc-user that is now applicable to any Container Cloud provider and node type, including Bastion. All existing SSH user names, such as ubuntu, cloud-user for the vSphere-based clusters, are replaced with the universal mcc-user user name.

Learn more

Deprecation notes

VMware vSphere resources controller

Implemented the vsphereResources controller to represent the vSphere resources as Kubernetes objects and manage them using the Container Cloud web UI.

You can now use the drop-down list fields to filter results by a short resource name during a cluster and machine creation. The drop-down lists for the following vSphere resources paths are added to the Container Cloud web UI:

  • Machine folder

  • Network

  • Resource pool

  • Datastore for the cluster

  • Datastore for the cloud provider

  • VM template

New format of L2 templates

Updated the L2 templates format for baremetal-based deployments. In the new format, l2template:status:npTemplate is used directly during provisioning. Therefore, a hardware node obtains and applies a complete network configuration during the first system boot.

Before the Container Cloud 2.9.0, you were able to configure any network interface except the default provisioning NIC for the PXE and LCM managed to manager connection. Since Container Cloud 2.9.0, you can configure any interface if required.

Caution

  • Deploy any new node using the L2 template of the new format.

  • Replace all deprecated L2 templates created before Container Cloud 2.9.0 with the L2 templates of new format.