Feature overview

Provide a solution that can be used in air-gapped operators (i.e. creates the reports and stores them in a temporary environment, and then uses a manual process to upload the data to the cloud).

Goals

• Create an installation of version of the cost management operator that works in disconnected OpenShift environments
• Create the necessary components to upload data to the cloud from a disconnected cluster, from a system that is connected to the Internet and where the information gathered from the cluster have been copied.

Requirements

• The customer must be capable of install a (supported) version of the operator in a disconnected environment
• Notifying the customer if the version of the operator is old
• The customer should be able to upload data to the cloud in a disconnected environment. The process should include a manual step to copy the data from the cluster into another place, connected to the Internet where it can be uploaded
• The customer should be able to configure the cluster as disconnected, even if the cluster is connected to the Internet, for those cases where the customer doesn't want to send data to the cloud.

Background and strategic fit

Most of the deployment of OpenShift are done on-prem, and many of them, specifically those for big companies that are more conscious about security, are deployed in environments that are not directly connected to the Internet.
As many of those customers are those we want to use cost management so they have right now a problem to configure the operator and send data to the cloud.

As those customers are normally the biggest ones, this solution would imply an increase in our target customers.

Out of scope

This is not an on-prem solution for cost management, but a solution to be able to use cost management in OCP environments that are not connected to the Internet directly but in an air-gapped environment.

Any technology can be used to deliver the data (go code, Python, Ansible playbook).