Quick Start ​

ECP provides a fast deployment method based on Kubernetes, which helps users quickly build the ECP cloud-edge integrated platform. In this chapter, users can experience the features and capabilities of ECP in just a few simple steps.

1. First, install ECP. Users need a cloud-native Kubernetes environment and an ECP installation package (You can contact EMQ for the installation package).
2. Then, log in to ECP to enter the System Management interface and initialize the environment.
3. Finally, in ECP's Workspace interface, deploy EMQX cluster and edge services like Neuron and eKuiper with one click to start experiencing various services and functions of ECP.

Install ECP ​

To install ECP, please refer to Deploy ECP based on Kubernetes.

Initialize the ECP Environment ​

After installation, the following configurations need to be completed on ECP before you can leverage the centralized management power of ECP.

Configure the License ​

1. Apply for a trial license via the Contact Us page on the EMQ website. Skip this step if you already have a paid license.
2. Log in as superuser, switch to the Workspace interface, and click License Management on the left navigation menu.
3. Click Update License and upload the license obtained in Step 1; you can see the license details on this page.

Configure Kubernetes Connections ​

1. Log in to the Kubernetes master node.

2. In Kubernetes command line tool, run the command below to locate the default configuration file. Download the file to your local machine.

   ~/.kube/config

3. In the Workspace interface, click System Settings > Resource Settings on the left navigation menu.

4. Then click on the Kubernetes Connect Settings and click Create Kubernetes Connect, upload the configuration file you downloaded in Step 2. ECP now can call the Kubernetes APIs and resources.

Configure Storage Class ​

Configuring storage classes is an important step when setting up resource specifications for cloud clusters and edge services. This section takes EMQX cluster as an example to illustrate.

1. Log in to the Kubernetes environment via the command line.

2. Use the following command to view the list of storage classes, including system-provided storage classes or self-built ones:

   kubectl get sc
   
   NAME                    PROVISIONER                      RECLAIMPOLICY  VOLUMEBINDINGMODE     ALLOWVOLUMEEXPANSION        AGE
   alicloud-disk-ssd       diskplugin.csi.alibabacloud.com  Delete         Immediate             true                        170d
   alicloud-disk-topology  diskplugin.csi.alibabacloud.com  Delete         WaitForFirstConsumer  true                        170d
   local-path              rancher.io/local-path            Delete         WaitForFirstConsumer  false                       169d

3. Go back to ECP and select one Storage Class for EMQX clusters (Administration -> System Settings -> Resource Settings -> Cluster Setting -> EMQX Quota List). Note: The Storage Class name should be identical to that on Kuberneets, set the storage size and whether to set it as a default option.

   

4. Save the settings, and the newly created storage class will take effect immediately.

Install EMQX Cluster Image ​

This quick start guide will take EMQX 4.4.15 (emqx/emqx-ee:4.4.15) as an example to illustrate the process.

On the ECP Administration page, click System Settings -> Resource Settings -> Cluster Setting. Input emqx/emqx-ee:4.4.15 in the Image field, and choose whether to set it as a default option. Click Confirm to finish the setting.

Configure EMQX Cluster Specification ​

This quick start guide will configure an EMQX cluster with 1 CPU core, 1 GiB of memory, and 512 MiB of disc space, you can configure it as shown in the screenshot below:

For a detailed explanation of each field, see Resource Setting - EMQX Cluster Quota

Install Edge Service Image ​

This quick start guide will use eKuiper 1.9.0 (lfedge/ekuiper:1.9.0-slim-python) and Neuron 2.3.7 (emqx/neuron:2.3.7) to illustrate the process. On the ECP Administration page, click System Settings -> Resource Settings -> Edge Service Setting. Select lfedge/ekuiper:1.9.0-slim-python from the drop-down list for eKuiper Image, and choose whether to set it as a default option. Click Confirm to finish the setting. Then select emqx/neuron:2.3.7 from the drop-down list for Neuron Image, and choose whether to set it as a default option. Click Confirm to finish the setting.

Configure Edge Instance Specification ​

This quick start guide will configure both eKuiper and neuron instances with 1 CPU core, 1 GiB of memory, and 100 MiB of disc space, you can configure them as shown in the screenshot below:

For a detailed explanation of each field, see Resource Setting - EMQX Cluster Quota

Use ECP to Create Services ​

Once you have set up the underlying Kubernetes environment, you can start experiencing the various features of ECP.

Create Organization and Project ​

ECP follows a multi-tenant, multi-project management approach, where building EMQX clusters and installing Neuron and eKuiper services are based on specific projects. Therefore, the first step is to create an organization and a project.

1. Log in as a system admin and click to switch to the Administration page.

2. Click on Organizations in the left sidebar.

3. On the Organizations page, click Create Organization.

4. In the popup dialog box, set as follows:

   • Enter the Organization Name, for example, EMQ.
   • Click to select the organization members in the Candidates panel, and assign one or multiple organization members as organization admin in the Member panel.

5. Click Create to save the input.

   

Then on the Projects page, repeat the same step to create your project.

After you have created your organization and project, you can click the Workspace icon to switch to the Workspace page and start using EMQX to manage your EMQX clusters and edge services.

Install and Manage EMQX Clusters ​

Once the organization and project are ready, you can proceed to create EMQX clusters using ECP. Switch to the Workspace interface and select the EMQ organization and ECP project you just created. You will be directed to the Cluster page.

On the Clusters page, click Add Cluster to open the cluster creation page, and set it as follows:

• Select New Cluster as Cluster Type.
• Enter a desired Cluster Name, such as emqx-test.
• Keep the default Connection Limit of 10.
• Choose the default 1C2G specification.
• Under Replicas, select 1 for the number of nodes.
• Use the default image version.
• Click Confirm to create the cluster.

The newly-created clusters will be listed in the Cluster List panel with the status Creating. Wait till the status changes to Running, indicating the cluster is ready for production use.

ECP provides a comprehensive suite of management and operational services for EMQX cluster management, allowing you to centrally manage and operate all EMQX clusters on ECP. You can click the more icon of a certain cluster to start/stop a cluster, upgrade/downgrade, do horizontal/vertical scaling, update network type, configure a load balancer, or transfer cluster ownership.

Or you can click on Enter Dashboard in the top-right corner to enter the EMQX Enterprise Edition Dashboard. This web-based control panel provided by EMQX allows users to monitor the operational status and statistical metrics of server nodes and clusters. For details about this OM operation, see Manage EMQX Clusters.

Install and Manage Edge Services ​

The installation and management for edge services Neuron and eKuiper are similar, this section takes Neuron as an example to illustrate the process.

1. Select the ECP project under organization EMQ, navigate to the Edge Services section in the left sidebar.

2. Click Add Edge Service to open the edge service creation page, and set it as follows:

   • Choose Install New Services in batches as the Add Type.
   • For Category, choose Neuron.
   • Choose Direct for the Connection Type;
   • In the Name Cluster field, give a name prefix for the edge service, for example, Neuron-test.
   • In the Installation Quantity field, enter the number of edge services you want to install, for example, 1
   • Use default settings for specification, Neuron image, and authentication.
   • Review the settings on the right side and click Confirm to proceed with the installation.

A dialog box will subsequently appear, showcasing the installation progress. Here you can observe the total count of services installed and reasons if any instances failed to be installed.

After finishing creating the edge service instances or adding existing edge services, you can get a project-level overview of edge services. ECP provides a suite of tools to efficiently manage and maintain edge computing services, helping operators to save a substantial amount of time and resources. For detailed explanation, see Manage Edge Services