Delegating storage services to the IBM Storage Enabler for Containers interface

Before you can use the IBM Storage Enabler for Containers to provision storage volumes from an external IBM storage system to Kubernetes containers, you must delegate the storage services that will be used by container plug-ins.

The services and their storage resources that you delegate on Spectrum Connect can be used in creating storage volumes in Kubernetes. Spectrum Connect storage services are translated into Kubernetes storage classes allowing for dynamic (on-demand) provisioning of storage for containers.

Service delegation is a prerequisite for deploying IBM Storage Enabler for Containers, IBM Storage Kubernetes Dynamic Provisioner and IBM Storage Kubernetes FlexVolume. For more information about deployment requirements, see Compatibility and requirements for IBM Storage Enabler for Containers).

To delegate storage services to IBM Storage Enabler for Containers:

  1. On the Interfaces pane, click the Enabler for Containers interface to select it.
  2. On the Spaces/Storage Services pane, select the storage space from which you want to choose storage services.
    The available services that reside on the selected storage space are immediately displayed.
  3. Right-click on a service that you want to delegate to the Enabler for Containers interface, and then select Delegate to <interface_name>, or click the Attach/Delegate button on the service.
    The service color changes to indicate the successful delegation.

    You can continue the process by right-clicking available services under the current space.

    Figure 1. Enabler for Containers interface with a delegated service
    This image shows the Enabler for Containers interface with delegated service.
    The Enabler for Containers interface provides indication for the allocated and used storage space.
    • Allocated – total amount of storage space available on all pools connected to the delegated services.
    • Used – amount of storage space used by containers and snapshots on all pools connected to the delegated services.
After service delegation, you can proceed with installation of the IBM Storage Enabler for Containers for further use of the allocated storage resources as persistent volumes for containers. See Installing IBM Storage Enabler for Containers.

If this is the first service defined before installation of the IBM Storage Enabler for Containers, a default storage class is created automatically during the installation. To link a Spectrum Connect storage service to a Kubernetes storage class, set the value of the STORAGE_CLASS_PROFILE_VALUE parameter in the ubiqity.config file to be is the same as the service name.

If you already installed the IBM Storage Enabler for Containers, add more services and delegate them to the Enabler for Containers interface. Then create Kubernetes storage classes and link them to the services. These storage classes can be used for creating new PVCs based on the Spectrum Connect services.