Setting up Container Service Extension (CSE) behind a Corporate Proxy
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In this article, we will go over the process of setting up Container Service Extension (CSE) behind a corporate proxy. This is a crucial aspect of deploying CSE in a production environment, as it allows you to access the internet through your company’s proxy server. We will also cover some additional tips and tricks for working with CSE behind a proxy.
Preparing the Appliance
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The first step in setting up CSE behind a corporate proxy is to prepare an appliance that will host the CSE server component. In this example, we will use a freshly deployed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS server, deployed from the ubuntu cloud images repository:
Setting up Proxy Information
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Once the appliance is up and running, we need to set up the proxy information. In this case, our HTTP based proxy has the IP address W.X.Y.Z. We can set up the proxy information by adding the following lines to the /etc/environment file:
“`bash
HTTP_PROXY=http://W.X.Y.Z:8080
HTTPS_PROXY=http://W.X.Y.Z:8080
“`
Quick Test
———-
Before we proceed with the installation of CSE, let’s quickly test that our proxy setup is working correctly. We can use the following command to test our connection:
“`bash
curl -v http://google.com
“`
If everything is set up correctly, we should see a response indicating that our request was successful.
Installing Software Components
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Now that our appliance is ready and our proxy setup is working correctly, we can proceed with the installation of CSE software components. We will use the following command to install the required software:
“`bash
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y cse-server kubectl
“`
Quick Method to Integrate CSE CLI
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To integrate the CSE CLI with the vCD CLI, we can use the following command:
“`bash
sudo cse-server configure –kube-context=
“`
This command will create a ~/.cse/decrypted-config.yaml file to configure according to the reference documentation.
Configuring CSE
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To ease the testing, we can make a fork of the official templates repository to our GitHub workspace with only one Ubuntu based template. We can then encrypt the file using the following command:
“`bash
sudo cse-server encrypt –template-path=
“`
If you need to decrypt it (for example, to edit the content), you can use the following command:
“`bash
sudo cse-server decrypt –template-path=
“`
Building the Template
———————
Once our template is ready, we can build it using the CSE server component. We can run the following command to start the build process:
“`bash
sudo cse-server build –template-path=
“`
After the template preparation, the template will be added to the available ones:
“`yaml
NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE
“`
Patching Pika Library
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If you use Python version 3.8 (you can check it by running `python3 -V` command), you may have an issue with an error message like:
“`bash
python: can’t open file ‘
“`
To patch the Pika library, you can apply a patch made from this Pull request from @lukebakken.
Running CSE Server in Foreground Mode
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If you want to run the CSE server services in foreground mode, you can use the following command:
“`bash
sudo cse-server start –foreground
“`
This will run the CSE server services in the foreground, allowing you to interact with them directly.
Enabling and Starting CSE Service
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To enable and start the CSE service as a system service, we can use the following commands:
“`bash
sudo cse-server enable
sudo cse-server start
“`
This will enable and start the CSE service as a system service, allowing it to run automatically on boot.
Additional Tips and Tricks
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Here are some additional tips and tricks for working with CSE behind a corporate proxy:
* Make sure your proxy setup is correct and functioning properly before proceeding with the installation of CSE.
* Use a recent version of Ubuntu as the basis for your appliance to ensure compatibility with the latest CSE software components.
* When setting up your template, make sure to include all necessary components and dependencies.
* Consider using a separate partition for your appliance’s root filesystem to isolate the CSE installation and reduce the risk of conflicts or contamination from other software components.
Conclusion
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In this article, we have covered the process of setting up Container Service Extension (CSE) behind a corporate proxy. We have discussed the preparation of an appliance, setting up proxy information, installing CSE software components, and configuring CSE. Additionally, we have provided some additional tips and tricks for working with CSE behind a proxy. With this knowledge, you should be able to successfully deploy CSE in your production environment.