Installing operators for your deployment

An IBM Content Cortex container deployment requires multiple components. You can install these components by using Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) or Helm charts.

Available operators

The following table shows the operators that are available for a container deployment.

Table 1. Operators for each deployment scenario
Operator Description
Content Required for a new container deployment. Provides the core IBM Content Cortex capabilities. Install this operator first.
IBM License Service Required for a new container deployment. Tracks and reports license usage for compliance and license management.
IBM Usage Metering Required for a new container deployment. Provides usage metering and reporting for container components.
IBM Content Cortex AI Services

Provides AI Agent and MCP Server capabilities, including AI-driven chat and workspace capabilities.

  • Optional for a new container deployment when you want AI capabilities.

Deployment methods

You can install operators by using one of the following methods:

Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM)
Recommended for OpenShift® Container Platform deployments. Use this method when you want native operator lifecycle management from the OpenShift platform.
Helm charts
Recommended for Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Kubernetes deployments or when you need more control over deployment configuration.

After you choose a deployment method, go to the corresponding installation topic.