Embedded system requirements
Review the requirements on this page before deploying Chef 360 Platform with an embedded Kubernetes cluster. After reviewing them, you will know whether your hosts, network, storage, domain name, and licensing meet the prerequisites for the embedded deployment.
The embedded cluster is a Chef-managed Kubernetes environment for Chef 360 Platform Server. Use this page for deployment planning, then follow the complete embedded cluster requirements reference during installation.
Before you begin
- Decide whether you need a single-node evaluation deployment or a multi-node production deployment.
- Confirm that you have a valid Chef 360 Platform license.
- Identify the Linux hosts that will run the embedded cluster.
- Confirm that your organization can provide the required network access, storage, DNS, and firewall configuration.
Review the requirements
Review the following requirements before starting the deployment. The sections use the same requirement content as the complete embedded cluster requirements reference.
Licensing
A valid Chef 360 Platform license is required to install and run Chef 360 Platform.
Hardware
Chef 360 Platform supports single-node and multi-node deployments. Select a topology based on your availability and scalability requirements.
For production environments, run a benchmark test to determine your system’s requirements. The benchmark test should include the number of nodes you plan to enroll, job frequency, output size, job duration, and check-in frequency.
Note
If the root directory has space restrictions, mount the following directories before installing Chef 360 Platform:
/var/lib/k0s//run/k0s//var/lib/embedded-cluster/etc/k0s/
For deployment-specific sizing, also review the single-node and multi-node requirements:
Single-node deployment
A single-node Chef 360 Platform deployment (hyperconverged non-HA) has the following minimum requirements. Adjust these values based on your specific usage patterns and workload. For sizing recommendations tailored to your environment, contact your Customer Architect or Customer Success Manager.
| vCPU | Memory | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 32 GB | 200 GB |
Multi-node deployment
All nodes must meet or exceed the requirements for their assigned role. Minimum node counts and node sizing requirements must both be satisfied. Using fewer nodes with larger specifications doesn’t replace the required node count. Node roles must be deployed exactly as defined for each topology.
These requirements support reliable operation and high availability of the platform.
Multi-node systems have the following minimum requirements:
| Topology | Roles | Nodes | vCPU | Memory (GB) | Disk (GB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperconverged-HA | Controller + Frontend + Backend | 3 | 16 | 32 | 200 |
| Tiered-HA | Controller + Backend | 3 | 16 | 32 | 200 |
| Frontend | 3 or more | 8 | 16 | 50 | |
| Hyperscale-HA | Controller | 3 | 4 | 16 | 50 |
| Frontend | 3 or more | 8 | 16 | 50 | |
| Backend | 3 | 16 | 32 | 200 |
Node sizing requirements can vary based on workload characteristics, scale expectations, performance objectives, availability requirements, and integration patterns. The requirements documented here represent a baseline configuration. Work with a Chef 360 Platform Architect to validate and refine node sizing and ensure your deployment meets the specific needs of your environment.
For more information about cluster topologies and adding nodes, see Cluster management.
File systems and storage
Chef 360 Platform has the following file system requirements:
- A mounted XFS filesystem with the
ftype=1option. This is the default in recent RHEL versions. - The
/vardirectory isn’t mounted with thenoexecoption.
Network ports
Chef 360 Platform requires the following ports for all deployments. Open the following ports if you are using default ports.
Ports for inbound connections:
| Port | Description |
|---|---|
| 22 | SSH |
| 5985-5986 | WinRM |
| 30000 | Chef 360 Platform console (not applicable for Bring Your Own Kubernetes (BYOK) deployments) |
| 31000 | API Gateway |
| 31050 | RabbitMQ |
| 31101 | Mailpit (optional) |
Ports for outbound connections:
| Port | Description |
|---|---|
| 443 | For non-air gapped installations |
For multi-node deployments, also review the multi-node port requirements.
Fully qualified domain name
Chef 360 Platform Server requires a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that’s RFC 1123-compliant and registered with the Domain Name System (DNS). Confirm that the FQDN resolves from the workstations, user devices, and managed nodes that need to reach Chef 360 Platform.Disaster recovery
Disaster recovery has the following requirements:
Chef 360 Platform 1.7.0 or later installed and running.
S3-compatible object storage accessible to the Chef 360 Platform cluster. The following storage options are supported:
- AWS S3
- MinIO: Must be configured to use HTTP or HTTPS with a certificate issued by a publicly trusted certificate authority. MinIO with self-signed certificates isn’t supported.
In an air-gapped environment, your S3-compatible object storage must be accessible from within your virtual private cloud (VPC) without public internet access. Configure access using one of the following methods:
- A VPC endpoint for S3 (recommended)
- Custom network routing to S3
Verify that your IAM permissions and security group rules allow Chef 360 Platform to read from and write to the S3 bucket.
Kubernetes and Linux host requirements
The embedded Kubernetes cluster uses k0s as its underlying runtime. Your Linux hosts must provide the kernel features required by k0s and Kubernetes.
For the supported Linux kernel configuration, external runtime dependencies, and preflight checks, see Kubernetes and Linux requirements.
For a multi-node deployment, each host must have a unique machine ID. Review the machine ID requirements before creating hosts from a shared image.
Firewall access for online installations
Online installations require access to the following domains:
registry.chef360.chef.iodownload.chef360.chef.ioproxy.chef360.chef.ioappservice.chef360.chef.ioindex.docker.iocdn.auth0.com*docker.io*docker.com
For air-gapped installations and the complete list of firewall and runtime requirements, see embedded cluster requirements.
Check whether this applies
Use the embedded cluster requirements when Chef 360 Platform provisions and manages the Kubernetes environment as part of the Chef 360 Platform Server deployment. If your organization manages its own Kubernetes cluster, use the BYOK system requirements instead.
Review your plan
Before you start the deployment, confirm that every item in this checklist is complete:
- You selected a single-node or multi-node deployment.
- You have a valid Chef 360 Platform license.
- Each Linux host meets the required CPU, memory, disk, and operating system requirements.
- Each host has the required file systems and storage capacity.
- Required server and cluster ports are available.
- The deployment FQDN is configured in DNS and resolves to the correct host or load balancer.
- Each host in a multi-node deployment has a unique machine ID.
- Your firewall allows access to the required Chef, registry, download, proxy, application service, and Docker Hub endpoints for an online installation.
- You have planned backup storage and S3-compatible access if disaster recovery is required.
- You have access to the installation artifacts and the permissions required to install and configure Chef 360 Platform.
When every item is complete, continue to deploy Chef 360 Platform with an embedded cluster.
Next steps
- If any requirement is missing, return to plan your system and update the deployment design.
- When the requirements are satisfied, deploy Chef 360 Platform with an embedded cluster.
- For the complete reference during installation, see embedded cluster requirements.
Need access to this capability?
Deploying Chef 360 Platform requires a valid product license and access to the installation artifacts. Review the Chef 360 Platform product page to learn more and connect with the marketing or account team about access and deployment options.