Create a cluster

Install dependecies

Verify that you have installed mkectl and other dependencies on your system as described in Install MKE CLI.

Configure cluster nodes

Configure the cluster nodes in advance, in accordance with the System requirements.

Node provisioning is managed by the cluster administrators. You can, for instance, use Terraform to create the nodes in a cloud provider. Refer to Example Terraform configuration for an example.

Initialize deployment

MKE streamlines the cluster deployment through the use of a single YAML file, which details the desired cluster configuration. This approach simplifies the setup process and ensures consistency in cluster deployments.

Generate the YAML file for your installation:
```
mkectl init > mke4.yaml
```

In the generated configuration file:

Edit the hosts section to match your roster of nodes. Provide the SSH information for each cluster node, as well as the role of the node based on their functions within the cluster. The table below provides the list of available node roles and their descriptions:

Node Role	Description
controller+worker	A manager node that runs both control plane and data plane components. This role combines the responsibilities of managing cluster operations and executing workloads.
worker	A worker node that runs the data plane components. These nodes are dedicated to executing workloads and handling the operational tasks assigned by the control plane.
single	A special role used when the cluster consists of a single node. This node handles both control plane and data plane components, effectively managing and executing workloads within a standalone environment.

Specify the external address in the in apiServer.externalAddress field. The external address is the domain name of the load balancer configured as described in System Requirements: Load balancer.

Create a cluster

⚠️

Before you create a new MKE cluster you must first verify that a cluster does not already exist in the system. If you attempt to create a cluster where a cluster is already present, even through the use of a different configuration file, you will lose the ability to use mkectl to access the original cluster.

For information on how to delete a cluster, refer to Uninstall a cluster.

To create a new cluster, run the mkectl apply command with the generated YAML configuration file:

mkectl apply -f mke4.yaml

ℹ️

The mkectl apply command configures the mke context in the default kubeconfig file located at ~/.kube/config. If the default kubeconfig is changed, and the mke context becomes invalid or unavailable, mkectl will not be able to manage the cluster until the kubeconfig is restored.

Once the new cluster is viable, you can start interacting with it using kubectl with the mke context.

Last updated on February 26, 2025

Licensing MKE 4 Start interacting with the cluster