RFE: Enable Execution Environment Builds Using OpenShift BuildConfigs

[jangel97]

Summary

Managing a high volume of Execution Environments (EEs) presents significant operational challenges. Our organization, responsible for maintaining approximately 200 EEs, aims to leverage OpenShift’s existing infrastructure to streamline the build and deployment process. Specifically, we propose integrating Ansible EE management with OpenShift BuildConfigs to simplify and enhance the automation pipeline.

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Problem Description

1. Current State:

   • EE builds are managed on dedicated infrastructure, requiring continuous maintenance and operational oversight.
   • Scaling this setup introduces additional cost and complexity.

2. Challenges:

   • Infrastructure Management: Maintaining build systems for 200+ EEs is resource-intensive.
   • Inefficiency: Separate infrastructure for builds duplicates efforts, given OpenShift is already available within the organization.
   • Scalability: Current solutions struggle to meet growing demands as the number of EEs increases.

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Proposed Enhancement

Leverage OpenShift’s BuildConfig feature to manage and build Execution Environments.

Key Features:

• Use BuildConfigs:

  • Define build strategies (Dockerfile or Source-to-Image) for creating EEs.
  • Automate builds using Git triggers, webhooks, or manual interventions.

• Integrated Storage:

  • Store built EE images in OpenShift’s internal container registry.
  • Optionally, push to external registries (e.g., Quay, Private Automation Hub) for broader access.

• Automation and Monitoring:

  • Integrate build processes into OpenShift’s CI/CD workflows.
  • Use OpenShift’s monitoring stack (Prometheus, Grafana) for tracking build performance and alerts.

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Why BuildConfigs?

• Provides seamless integration with OpenShift’s platform, leveraging its existing infrastructure.
• Ensures high availability and scalability, removing the need for dedicated build servers.
• Simplifies EE lifecycle management by consolidating build, storage, and deployment processes.

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Benefits

1. Operational Efficiency:

   • Reduces overhead by eliminating the need for separate build infrastructure.
   • Simplifies EE updates and versioning through automated pipelines.

2. Improved Scalability:

   • Leverages OpenShift’s robust platform to handle increasing build demands.
   • Ensures reliable and consistent EE builds across environments.

3. Cost Savings:

   • Reduces infrastructure costs by consolidating build processes within OpenShift.

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Conclusion

This enhancement would align EE management with our existing OpenShift infrastructure, reducing complexity and operational costs while improving scalability and security. It supports our organizational goals of streamlining automation and maximizing resource efficiency.

Would this be feasible to implement as part of the existing ee_utilities collection?

[djdanielsson]

No I do not think what we have currently would fit what you are looking for from my understanding. Now maybe there is a possibility that another role or additions to the current one might work but I would have to look more into the request because I am not that familiar with OCP.

[jangel97]

If the propose makes sense, perhaps, it does for those customers which are heavily relying on OCP/OKD, and are managing already a considerable amount of execution environments, I can land a PR for this. Either in a separate role or in this same role, whatever you think is more convenient. Thanks!