index.en.md

title	weight
Rancher Applications	22

In the following module, you will complete the outcomes listed below:

1. Use the Rancher App Catalog to deploy Longhorn, NeuVector, and Monitoring.
2. Explore features of Longhorn, NeuVector, and Monitoring.

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Deploying the Rancher Applications

In Exploring the Cluster, we briefly looked at the Rancher App Catalog. Now, we are going dive deeper into it by installing three Rancher Kubernetes applications: Longhorn, NeuVector, and Monitoring.

Deploying Longhorn

Step 1 (Longhorn):

In the left side menu, under Apps, click Charts. On the right hand side, you will see a filter box. Search for longhorn. Click the blue box to select the Longhorn chart.

Step 2 (Longhorn):

Here are all the relevant details for the Longhorn chart, like the Current Version or the Helm Chart README.

Step 3 (Longhorn):

Before we install Longhorn, we have to make sure we have the prerequistes dependencies installed on each node in the cluster. Longhorn requires nfs and iscsi and provides deployment manifests to ensure each node meets the requirements.

To install the dependencies, run these commnads using the kubectl shell provided by the Rancher Manager. On your keyboard, click the backtick key.

Once the kubectl shell opens, copy and paste the codeblock below and press enter. Once they complete, you can close the kubectl shell.

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/longhorn/longhorn/v1.5.1/deploy/prerequisite/longhorn-iscsi-installation.yaml

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/longhorn/longhorn/v1.5.1/deploy/prerequisite/longhorn-nfs-installation.yaml

Step 4 (Longhorn):

Once you close the kubectl shell and finish reviewing the chart, click on Install, then click Next, and finally click Install to complete the installation. You shouldn't need to change any configuration options.

If you are familiar with Helm, you may recognize the Helm commands running in the shell pane at the bottom of the page. Under the hood the App Catalog is deploying Longhorn with Helm using specific Helm Values. Feel free to close the shell pane as soon as it opens, or you can watch the install and close the shell when you see the SUCCESS message.

Step 5 (Longhorn):

In the left menu, you should now see Longhorn.

Click on it, and then click on the Longhorn box.

Step 6 (Longhorn):

Welcome to Longhorn! This overview page shows you storage metrics for your cluster.

Click on the green circle surrounding Nodes. This will take us to a detailed view of all nodes in our cluster. In the node detail page you can view metrics for each node and update configuration options by clicking on the three line menu.

You can manage and configure Longhorn by clicking on Setting, then General, on the top menu. Longhorn has a lot of configuration options, but we will leave them at default values for this workshop.

Feel free to explore Longhorn more, and then continue on to deploy NeuVector.

Deploying NeuVector

Step 1 (NeuVector):

The Rancher App Manager installation process for NeuVector is very similar to the one for Longhorn. In the left side menu, under Apps, click Charts. On the right hand side, you will see a filter box. Search for neuvector.

You will see two Neuvector chart options. Click on the NeuVector Chart.

Step 2 (NeuVector):

Here are all the relevant details for the NeuVector chart, like the Current Version or the Helm Chart README.

Step 3 (NeuVector):

Once you finish reviewing the chart, click Next and follow the steps listed. We will need to change two configuration options. Before proceeding, be sure to check the box for Customize Helm options before install.

Under Container Runtime, check the box for k3s Container Runtime and confirm /run/k3s/containerd/containerd.sock is populated in the path box. Uncheck the Docker runtime. Rancher RKE2 has a lot of components in common with Rancher's k3s distribution of Kubernetes, including the container runtime.

Under PVC Configuration, check the box for PVC Status. Additionally, under Storage Class Name enter longhorn.

Once you set the configuration option, click Next and then click Install.

Step 4 (NeuVector):

Neuvector should install in less than a minute. Feel free to close the shell pane as soon as it opens, or you can watch the install and close the shell when you see the SUCCESS message.

Step 5 (NeuVector):

In the left menu, you should now see NeuVector.

Click on it, then click on the NeuVector box.

Step 6 (NeuVector):

Once NeuVector opens in a new tab, accept the End User License Agreement if shown. If prompted for credentials, enter the default username "admin" and default password "admin", then click Login.

Note: Be sure to update the admin password from the default password of admin as soon as possible after completing the NeuVector install. Default passwords should never be used in any environment.

Step 7 (NeuVector):

Welcome to NeuVector! The initial dashboard provides an overview of your current security events, metrics, and risks. The Risk Score highlights specific security concerns and suggests ways to improve the cluster's security posture. Some issues can be resolved by simple, automated remediations.

Step 8 (NeuVector):

Before continuing to explore NeuVector, turn on automatic scanning of the cluster. In the top right hand corner of the dashboard, click on the Fourth Bubble and then click the slider for Auto Scan. Now NeuVector will automatically retrieve current scan results from the cluster.

Step 9 (NeuVector):

Now launch the Network Activity tool by clicking Network Activity on the the left side menu.

This tool provides a complete picture of all nodes, namespaces, containers, and other resources in the cluster. If you right-click on any item, you can view more information related to that item.

Another important feature of NeuVector is vulnerability scanning, detection, and mitigation. If you click on Security Risks, then Vulnerabilities, you will see a complete overview of all detected vulnerabilities in the cluster.

Deploying Monitoring

Step 1 (Monitoring):

In the left side menu, under Apps, click Charts. On the right hand side, you will see a filter box. Search for monitoring. Click the blue box to select the Monitoring chart.

Step 2 (Monitoring):

Here are all the relevant details for the Monitoring chart, like the Current Version or the Helm Chart README.

Step 3 (Monitoring):

Click on Install, then click Next, and finally click Install to complete the installation. You shouldn't need to change any configuration options.

Step 4 (Monitoring):

In the left menu, you should now see Monitoring. Click on it to open it.

Weclome to the Rancher Monitoring stack! By default, the stack deploys the Prometheus Operator and Adapter, Grafana, AlertManager, and other additional manifests and resources. It allows users to monitor their Kubernetes clusters with Prometheus, view and visualize metrics with Grafana, and set up alerts and notifications with AlertManager.

Step 5 (Monitoring):

In the middle of the dashboard, click on Grafana.

This should open the Grafana Dashboard in a new tab. Here you will find preconfigured and default dashboard of important cluster and application metrics. Most users will use the preconfigured and default dashboards as examples to create their own dashboards!

Step 6 (Monitoring):

Head back to the Rancher Manager and Monitoring. In the middle of the dashboard, click on Prometheus Targets. Here you will find the preconfigured targets and endpoints that Prometheus is monitoring out of the box. Feel free to explore the rest of Prometheus using the top navigation.

Completed!

We're done! We deployed and explored Longhorn, NeuVector, and Monitoring using the Rancher Multi-Cluster Manager App Catalog. Click Next to move on to deploy additional example Kubernetes applications using Rancher.