Remove vcluster dependence on kapp-controller.

[GrahamDumpleton]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

When using vcluster support and you opt to have a Contour instance deployed into the virtual cluster, installation of Contour is dependent on having kapp-controller available in the underlying host cluster. With the new CLI installer not requiring kapp-controller and it now being optional, then one looses the ability to enable Contour for a virtual cluster if kapp-controller is not installed.

Describe the solution you'd like

Not use kapp-controller to install Contour into a virtual cluster.

Describe alternatives you've considered

No response

Additional information

No response

[jorgemoralespou]

What's the strategy we want to follow here?

• Using the yaml descriptors from upstream?
• Leaving the user the option to the user to install contour themselves?
• Creating a controller that will mimic some of kapp-controller features as done in the new CLI installer so that we can install declaratively?
• Do an imperative creation via the installer, mounting it in an initContainer?
• Any other option

Relevant code is at https://github.com/vmware-tanzu-labs/educates-training-platform/blob/develop/session-manager/handlers/application_vcluster.py#L782-L829

[GrahamDumpleton]

Couple of options.

First vendir in files into sub directory of session-manager. The Python code of session-manager will load the YAML and convert to Python objects, fix up what it needs to and then stuffs them into vcluster config file as set of resources to create once cluster starts.

Second is use ability of vcluster config to take a helm package to install it.

The first wouldn't work for disconnected install unless do image reference fixups.

The second would never work for disconnected install, but may be easier.

[GrahamDumpleton]

Docs about helm chart install by vcluster.

• https://www.vcluster.com/docs/v0.19/deploying-vclusters/init-charts

[GrahamDumpleton]

Note that currently was not exposing ability of vluster to accept set of helm packages to install as kapp-controller was working and was doing that before they allowed helm install.

[GrahamDumpleton]

If use helm based method we could always install nginx controller instead as may be more lightweight.

[GrahamDumpleton]

The helm based method seems to be dependent on the virtual cluster being created by the vcluster command. So cluster is created, and then it seems to extract helm chart information from the configuration and applies it from the vcluster command. IOW, not installed by the vcluster pod. Thus doesn't appear to be of use to us.