Installing watsonx Assistant

An instance administrator can install watsonx Assistant on IBM Cloud Pak® for Data Version 4.8.

Who needs to complete this task?

Instance administrator To install watsonx Assistant, you must be an instance administrator. An instance administrator has permission to install software in the following projects:

The operators project for the instance

The operators for this instance of Cloud Pak for Data are installed in the operators project.

In the installation commands, the ${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} environment variable refers to the operators project.

The operands project for the instance

The Cloud Pak for Data control plane and the services for this instance of Cloud Pak for Data are installed in the operands project.

In the installation commands, the ${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} environment variable refers to the operands project.

When do you need to complete this task?

Review the following options to determine whether you need to complete this task:

  • If you want to install the Cloud Pak for Data control plane and one or more services at the same time, follow the process in Installing the platform and services instead.
  • If you didn't install watsonx Assistant when you installed the Cloud Pak for Data control plane, complete this task to add watsonx Assistant to your environment.

    Repeat as needed If you are responsible for multiple instances of Cloud Pak for Data, you can repeat this task to install more instances of watsonx Assistant on the cluster.

Information you need to complete this task

Review the following information before you install watsonx Assistant:

Version requirements

All of the components that are associated with an instance of Cloud Pak for Data must be installed at the same release. For example, if the Cloud Pak for Data control plane is installed at Version 4.8.5, you must install watsonx Assistant at Version 4.8.5.

Environment variables

The commands in this task use environment variables so that you can run the commands exactly as written.

  • If you don't have the script that defines the environment variables, see Setting up installation environment variables.
  • To use the environment variables from the script, you must source the environment variables before you run the commands in this task. For example, run:
    source ./cpd_vars.sh
Security context constraint

watsonx Assistant works with the default Red Hat® OpenShift® Container Platform security context constraint, restricted-v2.

Common core services

watsonx Assistant requires the Cloud Pak for Data common core services.

If the common core services are not installed in the operands project for the instance, the common core services are automatically installed when you install watsonx Assistant. The common core services installation increases the amount of time the installation takes to complete.

Storage requirements
You must specify storage classes when you install watsonx Assistant. The following storage classes are recommended. However, if you don't use these storage classes on your cluster, ensure that you specify a storage class with an equivalent definition.
Storage Notes Storage classes
OpenShift Data Foundation When you install the service, specify file storage and block storage.
  • File storage: ocs-storagecluster-cephfs
  • Block storage: ocs-storagecluster-ceph-rbd
IBM® Storage Fusion Data Foundation When you install the service, specify file storage and block storage.
  • File storage: ocs-storagecluster-cephfs
  • Block storage: ocs-storagecluster-ceph-rbd
IBM Storage Fusion Global Data Platform When you install the service, specify the same storage class for both file storage and block storage.
  • File storage:

    Either of the following storage classes:

    • ibm-spectrum-scale-sc
    • ibm-storage-fusion-cp-sc
  • Block storage:

    Either of the following storage classes:

    • ibm-spectrum-scale-sc
    • ibm-storage-fusion-cp-sc
IBM Storage Scale Container Native When you install the service, specify the same storage class for both file storage and block storage.
  • File storage: ibm-spectrum-scale-sc
  • Block storage: ibm-spectrum-scale-sc
Portworx When you install the service, the --storage_vendor=portworx option ensures that the service uses the correct storage classes.
  • File storage: portworx-shared-gp3
  • Block storage: portworx-watson-assistant-sc
NFS Not supported. Not applicable.
Amazon Elastic storage When you install the service, specify file storage and block storage.

File storage is provided by Amazon Elastic File System. Block storage is provided by Amazon Elastic Block Store.
  • File storage: efs-nfs-client
  • Block storage:

    Either of the following storage classes:

    • gp2-csi
    • gp3-csi
NetApp Trident When you install the service, specify the same storage class for both file storage and block storage.
  • File storage: ontap-nas
  • Block storage: ontap-nas

Before you begin

This task assumes that the following prerequisites are met:

Prerequisite Where to find more information
The cluster meets the minimum requirements for installing watsonx Assistant. If this task is not complete, see System requirements.
The workstation from which you will run the installation is set up as a client workstation and includes the following command-line interfaces:
  • Cloud Pak for Data CLI: cpd-cli
  • OpenShift CLI: oc
 If this task is not complete, see Setting up a client workstation.
The Cloud Pak for Data control plane is installed. If this task is not complete, see Installing the platform and services.
For environments that use a private container registry, such as air-gapped environments, the watsonx Assistant software images are mirrored to the private container registry. If this task is not complete, see Mirroring images to a private container registry.
For environments that use a private container registry, such as air-gapped environments, the cpd-cli is configured to pull the olm-utils-v2 image from the private container registry. If this task is not complete, see Pulling the olm-utils-v2 image from the private container registry.
Multicloud Object Gateway is installed and configured. If this task is not complete, see Installing Multicloud Object Gateway.
The secrets that enable watsonx Assistant to connect to Multicloud Object Gateway exist. If this task is not complete, see Creating secrets for services that use Multicloud Object Gateway.
Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing is installed and configured. If this task is not complete, see Installing Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing.
watsonx Assistant requires that the following configuration settings be applied when you install Cloud Pak for Data:
  • The service supports single-zone OpenShift® deployments; it does not support multi-zone deployments.
  • watsonx Assistant uses the following foundational services:
    • Certificate Manager
    • EDB Cloud Native PostgreSQL Database
    • Events
    • License Service

Procedure

Complete the following tasks to install watsonx Assistant:

  1. Specifying additional installation options
  2. Installing the service
  3. Validating the installation
  4. What to do next

Specifying installation options

If you plan to install watsonx Assistant, you can specify the following installation options in a file named install-options.yml in the work directory.

The parameters are optional. If you do not set these installation parameters, the default values are used. Uncomment the parameters that you want to override and update the values appropriately.

The sample YAML content uses the default values.

################################################################################
# watsonx Assistant parameters
################################################################################
#watson_assistant_size: Production
#watson_assistant_bigpv: false
#watson_assistant_analytics_enabled: true
Property Description
watson_assistant_size The deployment size for watsonx Assistant.

The deployment size determines the number of resources allocated to watsonx Assistant.

Default value
Production
Valid values
large
A large deployment supports very high production-scale workloads. For the large deployment, the deployment size is large.
Production
A production deployment has at least two replicas of each pod to support production-scale workloads. For Production, the deployment size is medium.
Starter
A starter deployment has fewer resources and less computing power than a production deployment. For Starter, the deployment size is small.
watson_assistant_bigpv Specify whether to create larger physical volumes to improve IOPS performance.

Create larger physical volumes if your storage class IOPS performance depends on the size of the physical volume.

You do not need to create larger physical volumes if you use the following storage:

  • Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation
  • IBM Storage Fusion Data Foundation
  • IBM Storage Fusion Global Data Platform
  • IBM Storage Scale Container Native
  • Portworx
  • IBM Cloud Block Storage
Default value
false
Valid values
false
Create physical volumes with the default size.
true
Create larger physical volumes to improve IOPS performance.
watson_assistant_analytics_enabled Specify whether to store chat logs and analytics.
Default value
true
Valid values
false
Do not store chat logs and analytics.
true
Store chat logs and analytics.

watsonx Assistant supports numerous installation options.

The most common installation options are:
  • watson_assistant_size: Use this option to change the size of your deployment. By default, the deployment size is Production. If you want to specify a different size, you can specify Starter or large based on your needs.
  • watson_assistant_languages: Deprecated option to add support for languages other than English. All languages are now installed by default.
  • watson_assistant_bigpv: Set this option to true to create larger Physical Volumes (PV) and get improved IOPS performance for your databases. Use this option if your storage class IOPS performance depends on the size of PV. You do not need to use this option if you are using one of the following storage classes: OpenShift Data Foundation, IBM Storage Fusion, Portworx, or IBM Cloud Block Storage.
  • watson_assistant_analytics_enabled: Use this option to set the status of analytics. Set this option to false to not collect analytics.

To specify one or more of these installation options:

  1. Create a file called install-options.yml in the work directory (cpd-cli-workspace/olm-utils-workspace/work).
  2. Edit the YAML file to include the installation options that you want to specify:
    watson_assistant_size: Starter     # Choose your deployment size. The options are Starter, Production, or large.
watson_assistant_languages:
- en     # Do not remove or comment out English
- es     # Add support for Spanish
#- fr
#- pt-br
#- it
#- ja
#- de
#- ko
#- ar
#- nl
#- zh-tw
#- zh-cn  
#- cs
watson_assistant_bigpv: true
watson_assistant_analytics_enabled: false     # Set false to disable Analytics or true to enable Analytics
    Tip: You can use the same file to provide input for multiple components. Each setting name is prefixed with the component name.

When you install watsonx Assistant, include the --param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml option in your install command.

Installing the service

To install watsonx Assistant:

  1. Log the cpd-cli in to the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform cluster:
    ${CPDM_OC_LOGIN}
    Remember: CPDM_OC_LOGIN is an alias for the cpd-cli manage login-to-ocp command.
  2. Run the following command to create the required OLM objects for watsonx Assistant in the operators project for the instance:
    cpd-cli manage apply-olm \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--components=watson_assistant
    Wait for the cpd-cli to return the following message before you proceed to the next step:
    [SUCCESS]... The apply-olm command ran successfully

    If the apply-olm fails, see Troubleshooting the apply-olm command during installation or upgrade.

  3. Create the custom resource for watsonx Assistant.

    The command that you run depends on the storage on your cluster.

    Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation storage

    Run the following command to create the custom resource.

    cpd-cli manage apply-cr \
--components=watson_assistant \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml \
--license_acceptance=true
    IBM Storage Fusion Data Foundation storage

    Run the following command to create the custom resource.

    cpd-cli manage apply-cr \
--components=watson_assistant \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml \
--license_acceptance=true
    IBM Storage Scale Container Native storage
    Remember: When you use IBM Storage Scale Container Native storage, both ${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} and ${STG_CLASS_FILE} point to the same storage class, typically ibm-spectrum-scale-sc.

    Run the following command to create the custom resource.

    cpd-cli manage apply-cr \
--components=watson_assistant \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml \
--license_acceptance=true
    Portworx storage

    Run the following command to create the custom resource.

    cpd-cli manage apply-cr \
--components=watson_assistant \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--storage_vendor=portworx \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml \
--license_acceptance=true
    AWS with EFS and EBS storage

    Run the following command to create the custom resource.

    cpd-cli manage apply-cr \
--components=watson_assistant \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml \
--license_acceptance=true
    NetApp Trident
    Remember: When you use NetApp Trident storage, both ${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} and ${STG_CLASS_FILE} point to the same storage class, typically ontap-nas.

    Run the following command to create the custom resource.

    cpd-cli manage apply-cr \
--components=watson_assistant \
--release=${VERSION} \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml \
--license_acceptance=true

Validating the installation

watsonx Assistant is installed when the apply-cr command returns:
[SUCCESS]... The apply-cr command ran successfully

If you want to confirm that the custom resource status is Completed, you can run the cpd-cli manage get-cr-status command:

cpd-cli manage get-cr-status \
--cpd_instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--components=watson_assistant

What to do next

You must complete the steps in Creating a service instance for watsonx Assistant from the web client before you can access watsonx Assistant.