--- title: Preparing to install a cluster on AWS --- # Preparing to install a cluster on AWS {#ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} To install an OpenShift Container Platform cluster on Amazon Web Services (AWS), you must verify your internet connectivity, download the installation program, install the OpenShift CLI (`oc`), and generate an SSH key pair. If required, you also need to manually create long-term credentials for AWS or configure an AWS cluster to use short-term credentials with Amazon Web Services Security Token Service (AWS STS). The following list outlines in detail the steps to prepare to install an OpenShift Container Platform cluster on AWS: - Verifying internet connectivity for your cluster. - Configuring an AWS account. For more information, see "Configuring an AWS account". - Downloading the installation program. > [!NOTE] > If you are installing in a disconnected environment, you extract the installation program from the mirrored content. For more information, see "Mirroring images for a disconnected installation". - Installing the OpenShift CLI (`oc`). > [!NOTE] > If you are installing in a disconnected environment, install `oc` to the mirror host. - Generating an SSH key pair. You can use this key pair to authenticate into the OpenShift Container Platform cluster’s nodes after it is deployed. - If the cloud identity and access management (IAM) APIs are not accessible in your environment, or if you do not want to store an administrator-level credential secret in the `kube-system` namespace, manually creating long-term credentials for AWS or configuring an AWS cluster to use short-term credentials with (AWS STS). For more information, see "Manually creating long-term credentials" and "Configuring an AWS cluster to use short-term credentials". ## Internet access for OpenShift Container Platform {#cluster-entitlements_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} In OpenShift Container Platform 4.22, you require access to the internet to install your cluster. You must have internet access to perform the following actions: - Access Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console to download the installation program and perform subscription management. If the cluster has internet access and you do not disable Telemetry, that service automatically entitles your cluster. - Access Quay.io to obtain the packages that are required to install your cluster. - Obtain the packages that are required to perform cluster updates. > [!IMPORTANT] > If your cluster cannot have direct internet access, you can perform a restricted network installation on some types of infrastructure that you provision. During that process, you download the required content and use it to populate a mirror registry with the installation packages. With some installation types, the environment that you install your cluster in will not require internet access. Before you update the cluster, you update the content of the mirror registry. ## Obtaining the installation program {#installation-obtaining-installer_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} Before you install OpenShift Container Platform, download the installation file on the host you are using for installation, so that installation assets exist for deployment in your environment. **Prerequisites** - You have a computer that runs Linux or macOS, with 500 MB of local disk space. **Procedure** 1. Go to the [Cluster Type](https://console.redhat.com/openshift/install) page on the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console. If you have a Red Hat account, log in with your credentials. If you do not, create an account. > [!TIP] > You can also [download the binaries for a specific OpenShift Container Platform release](https://mirror.openshift.com/pub/openshift-v4/clients/ocp/). 2. Select your infrastructure provider from the **Run it yourself** section of the page. 3. Select your host operating system and architecture from the dropdown menus under **OpenShift Installer** and click **Download Installer**. 4. Place the downloaded file in the directory where you want to store the installation configuration files. > [!IMPORTANT] > - The installation program creates several files on the computer that you use to install your cluster. You must keep the installation program and the files that the installation program creates after you finish installing the cluster. Both of the files are required to delete the cluster. > - Deleting the files created by the installation program does not remove your cluster, even if the cluster failed during installation. To remove your cluster, complete the OpenShift Container Platform uninstallation procedures for your specific cloud provider. 5. Extract the installation program. For example, on a computer that uses a Linux operating system, run the following command: ```terminal $ tar -xvf openshift-install-linux.tar.gz ``` 6. Download your installation [pull secret from Red Hat OpenShift Cluster Manager](https://console.redhat.com/openshift/install/pull-secret). This pull secret allows you to authenticate with the services that are provided by the included authorities, including Quay.io, which serves the container images for OpenShift Container Platform components. > [!TIP] > Alternatively, you can retrieve the installation program from the [Red Hat Customer Portal](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/290/), where you can specify a version of the installation program to download. However, you must have an active subscription to access this page. ## Installing the OpenShift CLI on Linux {#cli-installing-cli-linux_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} To manage your cluster and deploy applications from the command line on Linux, install the OpenShift CLI (`oc`) binary. You can download the OpenShift CLI (`oc`) from the Red  Customer Portal. > [!IMPORTANT] > If you installed an earlier version of `oc`, you cannot use it to complete all of the commands in OpenShift Container Platform. > > Download and install the new version of `oc`. **Procedure** 1. Navigate to the [Download OpenShift Container Platform](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/290) page on the Red Hat Customer Portal. 2. Select the architecture from the **Product Variant** list. 3. Select the appropriate version from the **Version** list. 4. Click **Download Now** next to the **OpenShift v4.22 Linux Clients** entry and save the file. 5. Unpack the archive: ```terminal $ tar xvf ``` 6. Place the `oc` binary in a directory that is on your `PATH`. To check your `PATH`, run the following command: ```terminal $ echo $PATH ``` **Verification** - After you install the OpenShift CLI, it is available using the `oc` command: ```terminal $ oc ``` ## Installing the OpenShift CLI on Windows {#cli-installing-cli-windows_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} To manage your cluster and deploy applications from the command line on Windows, install the OpenShift CLI (`oc`) binary. You can download the OpenShift CLI (`oc`) from the Red  Customer Portal. > [!IMPORTANT] > If you installed an earlier version of `oc`, you cannot use it to complete all of the commands in OpenShift Container Platform. > > Download and install the new version of `oc`. **Procedure** 1. Navigate to the [Download OpenShift Container Platform](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/290) page on the Red Hat Customer Portal. 2. Select the appropriate version from the **Version** list. 3. Click **Download Now** next to the **OpenShift v4.22 Windows Client** entry and save the file. 4. Extract the archive with a ZIP program. 5. Move the `oc` binary to a directory that is on your `PATH` variable. To check your `PATH` variable, open the Command Prompt and run the following command: ```terminal C:\> path ``` **Verification** - After you install the OpenShift CLI, it is available using the `oc` command: ```terminal C:\> oc ``` ## Installing the OpenShift CLI on macOS {#cli-installing-cli-macos_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} To manage your cluster and deploy applications from the command line on macOS, install the OpenShift CLI (`oc`) binary. You can download the OpenShift CLI (`oc`) from the Red  Customer Portal. > [!IMPORTANT] > If you installed an earlier version of `oc`, you cannot use it to complete all of the commands in OpenShift Container Platform. > > Download and install the new version of `oc`. **Procedure** 1. Navigate to the [Download OpenShift Container Platform](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/290) page on the Red Hat Customer Portal. 2. Select the architecture from the **Product Variant** list. 3. Select the appropriate version from the **Version** list. 4. Click **Download Now** next to the **OpenShift v4.22 macOS Clients** entry and save the file. > [!NOTE] > For macOS arm64, choose the **OpenShift v4.22 macOS arm64 Client** entry. 5. Extract the archive. 6. Move the `oc` binary to a directory on your `PATH` variable. To check your `PATH` variable, open a terminal and run the following command: ```terminal $ echo $PATH ``` **Verification** - Verify your installation by using an `oc` command: ```terminal $ oc ``` ## Generating a key pair for cluster node SSH access {#ssh-agent-using_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} During an OpenShift Container Platform installation, you can provide an SSH public key to the installation program. The key is passed to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CoreOS (RHCOS) nodes through their Ignition config files and is used to authenticate SSH access to the nodes. The key is added to the `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` list for the `core` user on each node, which enables password-less authentication. The key is added to the `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` list for the `core` user on each node, which enables password-less authentication. After the key is passed to the nodes, you can use the key pair to SSH in to the RHCOS nodes as the user `core`. To access the nodes through SSH, the private key identity must be managed by SSH for your local user. If you want to SSH in to your cluster nodes to perform installation debugging or disaster recovery, you must provide the SSH public key during the installation process. The `./openshift-install gather` command also requires the SSH public key to be in place on the cluster nodes. > [!IMPORTANT] > Do not skip this procedure in production environments, where disaster recovery and debugging is required. > [!NOTE] > You must use a local key, not one that you configured with platform-specific approaches. **Procedure** 1. If you do not have an existing SSH key pair on your local machine to use for authentication onto your cluster nodes, create one. For example, on a computer that uses a Linux operating system, run the following command: ```terminal $ ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -N '' -f / ``` Specifies the path and file name, such as `~/.ssh/id_ed25519`, of the new SSH key. If you have an existing key pair, ensure your public key is in the your `~/.ssh` directory. > [!NOTE] > If you plan to install an OpenShift Container Platform cluster that uses the RHEL cryptographic libraries that have been submitted to NIST for FIPS 140-2/140-3 Validation on only the `x86_64`, `ppc64le`, and `s390x` architectures, do not create a key that uses the `ed25519` algorithm. Instead, create a key that uses the `rsa` or `ecdsa` algorithm. 2. View the public SSH key: ```terminal $ cat /.pub ``` For example, run the following to view the `~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub` public key: ```terminal $ cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub ``` 3. Add the SSH private key identity to the SSH agent for your local user, if it has not already been added. SSH agent management of the key is required for password-less SSH authentication onto your cluster nodes, or if you want to use the `./openshift-install gather` command. > [!NOTE] > On some distributions, default SSH private key identities such as `~/.ssh/id_rsa` and `~/.ssh/id_dsa` are managed automatically. 1. If the `ssh-agent` process is not already running for your local user, start it as a background task: ```terminal $ eval "$(ssh-agent -s)" ``` ```terminal {title="Example output"} Agent pid 31874 ``` > [!NOTE] > If your cluster is in FIPS mode, only use FIPS-compliant algorithms to generate the SSH key. The key must be either RSA or ECDSA. 4. Add your SSH private key to the `ssh-agent`: ```terminal $ ssh-add / ``` Specify the path and file name for your SSH private key, such as `~/.ssh/id_ed25519`. ```terminal {title="Example output"} Identity added: /home/// () ``` **Next steps** - When you install OpenShift Container Platform, provide the SSH public key to the installation program. ## Telemetry access for OpenShift Container Platform {#cluster-telemetry_ipi-aws-preparing-to-install} To provide metrics about cluster health and the success of updates, the Telemetry service requires internet access. When connected, this service runs automatically by default and registers your cluster to [OpenShift Cluster Manager](https://console.redhat.com/openshift). After you confirm that your [OpenShift Cluster Manager](https://console.redhat.com/openshift) inventory is correct, either maintained automatically by Telemetry or manually by using OpenShift Cluster Manager,use subscription watch to track your OpenShift Container Platform subscriptions at the account or multi-cluster level. For more information about subscription watch, see "Data Gathered and Used by Red Hat’s subscription services" in the *Additional resources* section. **Additional resources** {._additional-resources} - [Configuring an AWS account](/openshift-docs-markdown/installing/installing_aws/installing-aws-account#installing-aws-account) - [Mirroring images for a disconnected installation](/openshift-docs-markdown/disconnected/installing-mirroring-installation-images#installing-mirroring-installation-images) - [Manually creating long-term credentials](/openshift-docs-markdown/installing/installing_aws/ipi/installing-aws-customizations#manually-create-iam_installing-aws-customizations) - [Configuring an AWS cluster to use short-term credentials](/openshift-docs-markdown/installing/installing_aws/ipi/installing-aws-customizations#installing-aws-with-short-term-creds_installing-aws-customizations) - [About remote health monitoring](/openshift-docs-markdown/support/remote_health_monitoring/about-remote-health-monitoring#about-remote-health-monitoring)