---
title: Installation details
weight: 20
aliases: /aap-starter-kit/installation-details/
---

:toc:
:imagesdir: /images
:_content-type: ASSEMBLY
include::modules/comm-attributes.adoc[]

[id="installation-steps"]
== Installation steps

The pattern executes the following steps on the cluster.
Subscriptions, applications, and chart overrides differ by install variant; see
link:#variant-installation-differences[Variant installation differences].

. Apply the Validated Patterns Operator and {rh-gitops-short} (single Argo CD).
. Load secrets into Vault when secret loading is enabled (`global.secretLoader.disabled: false`).
. Sync the cluster group for the selected `main.variant` under `variants/<variant>/values-<variant>.yaml`.
. Install the AAP operator (`stable-2.7`) and the `ansible-automation-platform-instance` application with the matching override file.
. Install the `aap-config` application to load CaC from the configured repository.
. For hub variants, install the {ocp-data-short} operator and `openshift-data-foundations` chart to provide RWX storage for automation hub.
. For Automation Orchestrator variants, install CloudNativePG, `vp-cloudnative-pg-cluster`, and the Automation Orchestrator operator and instance.

[id="variant-installation-differences"]
== Variant installation differences

The pattern uses the clustergroup `variants/` folder layout.
When `variants/` is present, the patterns operator sets `global.vpNewFolderDir=true`.
This pattern is single-cluster; there are no managed cluster group value files under the variants.

[id="variant-component-differences"]
=== Variant component differences

[cols="2,1,1,1,1",options="header"]
|===
| Component | `minimal-aap` | `aap-with-hub` | `aap-with-ao` | `complete-aap-ao`

| AAP operator (`stable-2.7`)
| yes
| yes
| yes
| yes

| AAP instance override
| `values-aap-instance-minimal.yaml`
| `values-aap-instance-with-hub.yaml`
| `values-aap-instance-minimal.yaml`
| `values-aap-instance-complete.yaml`

| Automation hub
| no
| yes
| no
| yes

| Lightspeed
| no
| no
| no
| yes

| {ocp-data-short} (`odf` app)
| no
| yes
| no
| yes

| CloudNativePG operator
| no
| no
| yes
| yes

| `vp-cloudnative-pg-cluster`
| no
| no
| yes
| yes

| Automation Orchestrator
| no
| no
| yes
| yes

| Vault + External Secrets
| yes
| yes
| yes
| yes

| `aap-config` CaC
| yes
| yes
| yes
| yes
|===

[id="expected-installations"]
=== Expected installations by variant

After a successful sync, expect the following on the hub cluster.

==== `minimal-aap` (default)

* Namespaces: `vault`, `external-secrets-operator`, `external-secrets`, `ansible-automation-platform`, `aap-config`
* Installed operators: AAP operator, External Secrets Operator
* Argo CD applications: `aap`, `aap-config`, `vault`, `openshift-external-secrets`
* AAP instance: controller present; automation hub and Lightspeed not deployed

==== `aap-with-hub`

* Everything in `minimal-aap`, plus:
* Namespace: `openshift-storage`
* Operators: {ocp-data-short} (`odf-operator`)
* Argo CD application: `odf` (`openshift-data-foundations` chart)
* AAP instance: automation hub enabled; Lightspeed disabled
* RWX storage classes from the ODF chart available for hub

==== `aap-with-ao`

* Everything in `minimal-aap`, plus:
* Namespaces: `cloudnative-pg`, `automation-orchestrator`
* Operators: CloudNativePG (`certified-operators`, channel `stable-v1`), Automation Orchestrator (`stable`)
* Argo CD applications: `vp-cloudnative-pg-cluster`, `automation-orchestrator`
* PostgreSQL cluster named `orchestrator-postgres` with databases for Orchestrator and Temporal
* AAP instance remains minimal (no hub, no Lightspeed)

==== `complete-aap-ao`

* Combination of hub and AO stacks:
* {ocp-data-short} and automation hub (as in `aap-with-hub`)
* Lightspeed enabled on the AAP instance
* CloudNativePG and Automation Orchestrator (as in `aap-with-ao`)

[id="variant-layout"]
=== Variant layout

[source,text]
----
values-global.yaml
variants/
  minimal-aap/
    values-minimal-aap.yaml
  aap-with-hub/
    values-aap-with-hub.yaml
  aap-with-ao/
    values-aap-with-ao.yaml
  complete-aap-ao/
    values-complete-aap-ao.yaml
overrides/
  values-aap-instance-minimal.yaml
  values-aap-instance-with-hub.yaml
  values-aap-instance-complete.yaml
  values-aap-config-aeg.yaml
  values-odf-chart.yaml
  values-vp-cloudnative-pg-ao.yaml
----

Set the variant in `values-global.yaml`:

[source,yaml]
----
main:
  variant: minimal-aap
----

For component roles and secret mappings, see link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/architecture/[Architecture].

[id="pattern-scripts"]
== Pattern scripts

* `scripts/ansible_get_credentials.sh`
+
Runs `rhvp.cluster_utils.aap_get_admin_credentials` to retrieve AAP admin credentials from the cluster.

* `scripts/ao_get_credentials.sh`
+
Runs `rhvp.cluster_utils.ao_get_admin_credentials` to retrieve Automation Orchestrator admin credentials.
Use this after installing `aap-with-ao` or `complete-aap-ao`.

[id="install-targets"]
== Install targets

Use `./pattern.sh make install` to install the pattern and load secrets (when secret loading is configured).
Useful related targets from the pattern Makefile:

[cols="1,3",options="header"]
|===
| Target | Purpose

| `./pattern.sh make install`
| Install the pattern and load secrets

| `./pattern.sh make operator-deploy`
| Install or update without loading secrets

| `./pattern.sh make load-secrets`
| Load secrets into Vault

| `./pattern.sh make show`
| Show the template that installation applies

| `./pattern.sh make argo-healthcheck`
| Check whether Argo CD applications are synced
|===