Understanding Placeholder Clusters in Zeet

Zeet is a cloud orchestrator designed to simplify the deployment and management of applications in cloud environments. It supports Kubernetes deployment and cluster management, enabling developers to deploy Docker containers and other resources into Kubernetes clusters. This document introduces and explains the concept of Placeholder Clusters within Zeet, helping you understand how to leverage this feature effectively, whether you're just starting out with Zeet or looking to streamline your existing workflows.

Introduction to Placeholder Clusters

A Placeholder Cluster represents a temporary state within Zeet, designed to facilitate the initial setup of projects when a fully configured and healthy Kubernetes cluster is not yet available. The primary purpose of Placeholder Clusters is to accelerate the deployment process. They enable you to set up project deployments in parallel with your infrastructure's provisioning. This means your deployment workflow doesn't have to come to a halt because your Kubernetes cluster is in the setup phase.

For First-Time Zeet Users

If this is your first time using the platform, you might not have an active Kubernetes cluster ready for deployment. Zeet addresses this by offering the option to provision a Placeholder Cluster. Although this cluster isn't initially healthy and requires configuration, it allows you to start deploying your project. The deployment process is paused, however, pending the cluster's transition to a healthy state.

For Developers with Existing Zeet Projects

If you're already using Zeet for deployment, you can use Placeholder Clusters when setting up new projects or when you prefer not to connect a project to an active cluster immediately. This flexibility supports continuous integration and deployment workflows, even as your infrastructure evolves.

How Placeholder Clusters Work

Initiating with Placeholder Clusters

• Project Creation: Select "Create Placeholder Cluster and Connect Later" during project setup.
• Outcome:
  • Your project enters a "Pending Healthy Cluster" state.
  • A Placeholder Cluster named placeholder-slug is created in a pending setup state, prompting you to upload the kubeconfig file.
• a slug is a unique identifier automatically appended to the names of clusters, projects, or resources. It ensures uniqueness and facilitates easy identification and reference within the platform.

Provisioning Zeet-Managed Clusters

• Project Creation: Opt for "Provision Cluster" as the cluster choice.
• Outcome:
  • The project is marked as "Pending Healthy Cluster".
  • A Zeet-Managed cluster, for example, zeet-eks-slug, begins provisioning.
• After ~20 minutes: The cluster becomes healthy, allowing project deployment to proceed.

Sample Zeet Projects

If you are a first-time user, you may have a sample project to help you get started. This project is pre-configured with a Placeholder Cluster named my-first-cluster-slug. You can connect to new or existing clusters to deploy your other projects or reuse the same placeholder cluster.

Next Steps with Placeholder Clusters

After setting up a Placeholder Cluster, proceed as follows:

1. For Zeet-Managed Clusters: Wait for the cluster to provision. Progress can be tracked on the cluster's detail page, with automatic project deployment once the cluster is healthy.
2. For Clusters Requiring Setup: Upload a valid kubeconfig file and configure the cluster following Zeet's self-managed Kubernetes cluster configuration guide.

Deployment Continuation

Upon the cluster reaching a healthy state, your project's deployment resumes. The specific actions taken next depend on the type of project:

• Container-Based Projects: The deployment status will move forward from the "Pending Setup" state.
• Helm-Based Projects: The cluster Pre-Check workflow will be completed, and the rest of the workflow will proceed.