kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api

Embedding cert-manager into CAPI for smaller footprint/less upgrade deps

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#7,443 opened on Oct 23, 2022

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Description

I recently realized that the 3 cert-manager related processes we use in CAPI are actually not required when a cluster is running, and only required, i believe:

  • on upgrades
  • on creation of a new cluster

User Story

As a CAPI User I'd like to minimize the number of containers I need to run persistently in my cluster, and thus i'd like a like a default "batteries included" certificate management solution running in one my essential capi pods... so that i dont need to run certmanager after cluster creation.

i.e. the dumbed down version of this would be something like... "lets just vendor certmanager and use it when needed".

Detailed Description

I think these 3 services:

  • ca-injector
  • webhook
  • certmanager

Can

  • all be run as one off processes on startup
  • invoked as needed during upgrades
  • be non-existent at other times ?

Anything else you would like to add:

/kind feature

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate how cert manager is currently integrated in Cluster API (CAPI) and identify the three processes (ca injector, webhook, certmanager) to understand their lifecycle. Explore options to run them as one off processes on startup or during upgrades, reducing persistent footprint. Review existing discussions and related issues for guidance.
Tech stack
go
Domain
backendinfrastructure
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Mostly clear
Prerequisites
GoKubernetescert manager
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40