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Hello, and welcome to this lesson on setting up OpenShift. In this lesson we review the common options for installing OpenShift and the typical deployment topologies you’ll choose depending on your environment (local development, on-premises, or cloud) and availability requirements.

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Deployment topologies

Choose a deployment topology based on scale, HA requirements, and the intended use (development vs production).
  • All-in-one: master and node on a single system — useful for development and testing.
  • Single master + multiple worker nodes: suitable for non-HA and small clusters.
  • Multiple masters + multiple worker nodes: recommended for production (high availability).
Other considerations when planning your OpenShift installation:
  • Target environment: virtual machines on a public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises hardware.
  • Installation method: package-based installs (RPMs) vs containerized deployments (images pulled and run by a container runtime). Containerized installs simplify distribution and upgrades.
  • Hypervisor availability: for local demos you’ll need a hypervisor such as VirtualBox or VMware Fusion.
We will start with the all-in-one option using Minishift, which is the
An OpenShift setup infographic showing three deployment topologies—All-in-One, Single Master with Multiple Nodes, and Multiple Masters with Multiple Nodes—represented by red server icons. Below are deployment options like On-Premise, Cloud, Package Manager (RPM), and Containerized (Docker).
easiest way to get started with OpenShift on a local system. If you prefer not to use Minishift, see the Alternatives section below for other options.

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What Minishift does

Minishift packages the core OpenShift 3.x components (Kubernetes, etcd, OpenShift Origin components, and related services) into a pre-configured image. The image is distributed as an ISO and Minishift automates building a single-node VM with those components, so you don’t have to install and configure each piece manually. Minishift’s CLI performs these key steps:
  • Downloads the appropriate Minishift ISO automatically.
  • Creates and manages a VM on your local hypervisor (for example, VirtualBox or VMware Fusion).
  • Pulls OpenShift Origin images (from registries like Docker Hub) into the VM.
  • Starts a single-node OpenShift cluster that includes the registry, router, and web console for development/testing.
You must have a supported hypervisor installed on your machine (VirtualBox is a common cross-platform choice). After Minishift deploys the VM, it downloads the container images required for the OpenShift control plane and brings up a single-node OpenShift cluster ready for development and testing.
A simple diagram titled "All-in-One" showing a pink panel that lists Kubernetes, etcd, and OpenShift with "Minishift" at the bottom. Each entry is shown with a small circular icon to its left.
A minimal set of commands to start Minishift and access the cluster:
Minishift provides a local, single-node OpenShift cluster intended for development and testing. It is not a production-ready deployment topology. For production, plan for multiple control-plane nodes and worker nodes to achieve high availability.
Minishift targets OpenShift 3.x and is intended for learning and demos. For OpenShift 4.x and newer on local systems, consider alternatives like CodeReady Containers (CRC) or the official OpenShift Installer for cloud and bare-metal production deployments.

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Alternatives and next steps

  • Minikube: lightweight Kubernetes for local testing (not OpenShift).
  • CodeReady Containers (CRC): Red Hat’s local OpenShift 4.x single-node solution.
  • OpenShift Installer + IPI/UPI: for installing OpenShift in production on cloud providers or bare metal.
  • Manual/package-based installs: use RPMs and system packages for advanced custom installs.
That concludes this overview of OpenShift setup and the Minishift all-in-one option. Try the hands-on Minishift demo to explore builds, routes, and the web console, then plan multi-node or production installations when you’re ready.

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