OpenShift is a powerful container orchestration platform that simplifies the deployment and management of containerized applications. This blog will guide you through deploying an Apache HTTP server in an OpenShift environment, highlighting key benefits and steps.

Prerequisites

• OpenShift Cluster: Access to an OpenShift cluster (local or cloud-based).
• oc CLI: Install the OpenShift CLI (oc) to interact with your cluster.

Setting Up Your OpenShift Environment

Login to OpenShift: Use the following command to log in to your OpenShift cluster:

oc login https://<your-openshift-cluster-url> --token=<your-token>

Create a New Project:

OC new-project apache-demo

Creating an Apache Deployment

Create a Deployment Configuration: Create a deployment configuration file, apache-deployment.yaml:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: apache
spec:
  replicas: 2
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: apache
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: apache
    spec:
      containers:
      name: apache
        image: httpd:2.4
        ports:
        containerPort: 80
        volumeMounts:
        - name: apache-volume
          mountPath: /usr/local/apache2/htdocs/
      volumes:
      - name: apache-volume
         emptyDir: {}

Deploy Apache: Run the following command to create the deployment:

oc apply -f apache-deployment.yaml

Expose the Apache Service

Create a Service: To expose Apache, create a service configuration file, apache-service.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: apache-service
spec:
  selector:
    app: apache
  ports:
    - protocol: TCP
      port: 80
      targetPort: 80
  type: LoadBalancer

Apply the Service Configuration:

oc apply -f apache-service.yaml

Accessing Your Apache Server

Check the status of your service:

oc get services

Note the external IP or URL provided for Apache service, and navigate to it in your browser to access the Apache server.

Scaling Apache Instances

OpenShift allows easy scaling of your application. To scale your Apache deployment, simply run:

oc scale deployment apache --replicas=5

This command adjusts the number of Apache instances running.

Monitoring and Logs

Check Pod Status:

oc get pods

View Logs: For any troubleshooting, view logs of the Apache pod:

oc logs <apache-pod-name>

Conclusion

Deploying Apache in OpenShift provides robust container management and scaling capabilities. With just a few commands, you can easily set up, expose, and manage your Apache server, leveraging the full power of container orchestration.

Need help on how to deploy Apache in an OpenShift environment? Contact us for server support and troubleshooting assistance.