Kubernetes Cluster in Minutes in VMware vSphere using Rancher

Spinning up a Kubernetes cluster from scratch can be complicated and challenging. Rancher is an open source, free solution that allows easily creating Kubernetes clusters. In this video walkthrough, we look at how to create a Kubernetes cluster in a VMware vSphere environment, using Rancher. As we will see in the video, Rancher provides a fully automated way to create Kubernetes cluster.

Using VMware vSphere all you need to have is an Ubuntu cloud image template in your vSphere inventory and Rancher does the rest. Using the template, Rancher will clone virtual machines to serve as the Kubernetes nodes, automatically configure Docker within the virtual machine, install Kubernetes using the roles defined in the Rancher cluster configuration, and join all the nodes to the cluster, all in just a few minutes.

You can also scale your cluster up or down using Rancher easily with just a couple of clicks.


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introduction - 0:00-2:00
Installing Docker - 2:50
Adding user to Docker group - 3:15
Pulling down the Rancher Docker container - 4:10
Logging into Rancher for the first time - 5:07
Creating a new Kubernetes cluster in VMware vSphere with Rancher - 7:40
Adding a Rancher Kubernetes Node template - 8:56
Finishing the Add Cluster - vSphere workflow in Rancher - 10:02
The Kubernetes cluster creation begins in VMware vSphere - 10:30
Viewing VMware virtual machines being cloned in vSphere - 10:43
Kubernetes Cluster finished creating in Rancher - 11:25
Accessing the Kubernetes Cluster using the Kubectl Shell
Downloading the Kubeconfig file from Rancher - 13:17
Concluding thoughts on Rancher and Kubernetes - 14:19

Links for the Rancher documentation referenced in the video:


Command to install the Rancher:



Create Kubernetes Cluster with Rancher and VMware vSphere:


Connect Rancher to an existing Kubernetes cluster:

[brandonjozsa]

Good video. I agree with others...music is a little tough, but my recommendation is also to get a decent mic that will cancel out the acoustics in the room (those fans are what's killing it in my opinion).

[dafydds]

Just wanting to say thanks for this video. I've been messing around with Docker for a while, but never dipped into Kubernetes. This fits my homelab really well and even using the latest versions of programmes (compared to the age of this video), I managed to get things running quite well... I've seen some of your recent videos, so I know if got better audio these days, so I won't say any more 🤣😁 ... Anywho, thanks for this 👍

[coomz]

Thank for your video, I was able to run a K8s cluster in just a few minuts like your title said ;)

[mandeepmails]

Another Excellent video. Feels great that you're ahead on the same track that i'm following.

[TayschrennSedai]

Music is a touch loud, good video; only thing that wasn't clear for me was networking/IP addressing. I'll dig around on that one.

[tridd]

awesome video! the point and lesson came across clear as day!

[williammurray]

Solid video, loved the detail. Please lose the music, huge distraction. Almost drove me away.

[kbcbala]

Hiya, I gave your 100th Thumbsup :) Thanks for the video. great video on Rancher.

[MoAlarawi]

All great work. Just the back ground music volume down a bit.

[deano_sk]

any chance for an updated verison, this was quiet different to me when I was following along, its been updated quiet substantially since

[DukeofTech]

Guys I have an interview and I was given task to do . I've done most of it but I'm having issues with Rancher cause I'm to use it for my kubernetes deployments. So the problem is that I can't find the add nodes button on the UI

[Joy-vone]

great video. well explained. exactly what I'm looking for. I will post here and see how smoothly when I install/setup this in my lab. Thank you, sir.

[felipecaetano]

Really great video, exactly what I needed! I hope there is a way to personalize more stuff like choosing a different CRI (maybe a subject for a later video?)

[sgsn]

i rely like it, no need to create EC2 service to run K8 cluster on AMAZAN practice K8

[GregDePasse]

Any chance you could you go into a little more detail on how you creted the VMware template VM? For some reason I can't get this to work and it looks like the VM is the culprit.

[ardin]

Hi Mr.lee, thank you for the excellent video...
I did everything exactly like you and everything went fine until creating the nodes,
Rancher creates the nodes, but the cluster doesn't run and doesn't give any error, and it creates the nodes again, and so on.
Unfortunately, it doesn't give an error, I can't search for the error on the Internet. Do you have any advice on this?!

[AnandSingh-iydx]

@9:27 -- Add network or you will get error: ["Error with pre-create check: "network 'VM Network' not found"]

[Phyxu]

hi thank you very much for this guide. Just wondering, do we no longer need a master node when doing it this way? or does rancher create the master node automatically under the hood?

[markstanchin]

When you install the rancher docker image shouldn’t you be adding persistent volumes?

[tonyg]

Great video.. I am still testing your Ansible video.... Could you do one setting up Ansible Tower?