Install Simplyblock on Kubernetes
Simplyblock provides a Kubernetes operator that manages the full lifecycle of simplyblock storage infrastructure. The operator is installed via a single Helm chart and uses Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) to declaratively manage clusters, storage nodes, storage pools, and the CSI driver.
For Kubernetes environments, a hyper-converged setup is a first-class simplyblock deployment model and the recommended approach. In this model, simplyblock storage services run on selected Kubernetes worker nodes, sharing resources with other workloads in the same Kubernetes cluster.
For OpenShift environments, hyper-converged deployments are the recommended approach.
Hyper-Converged Deployment Overview (Recommended)
A typical Kubernetes deployment follows these steps:
- Install the Operator: Deploy the simplyblock operator via the Helm chart. The operator watches for simplyblock CRDs and reconciles the desired state.
- Deploy Storage Nodes and CSI: Apply CRDs to create the storage cluster, add storage nodes, create storage pools, and deploy the CSI driver.
For a detailed breakdown of every pod and service created by the Helm chart, see Management Cluster Architecture.
For connecting to an external simplyblock cluster (e.g., a disaggregated Linux-based cluster), the CSI driver can be installed separately: Install Simplyblock CSI.
Operator CRDs
The operator manages the following resources:
| CRD | Description |
|---|---|
StorageCluster |
Creates and manages a simplyblock storage cluster |
StorageNode |
Deploys and manages storage nodes |
Pool |
Creates and manages storage pools |
Lvol |
Views logical volume status |
Device |
Manages NVMe devices on storage nodes |
Task |
Monitors cluster tasks |
For detailed CRD documentation, see Simplyblock Operator.
Platform-Specific Notes
- OpenShift — additional configuration for OpenShift clusters.
- Talos — specifics for Talos-based OS images.
- Volume Encryption — end-to-end encryption with customer-managed keys.