Installing watsonx Orchestrate

An instance administrator can install watsonx Orchestrate on IBM® Software Hub Version 5.4.

Who needs to complete this task?

Instance administrator To install watsonx Orchestrate, 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 watsonx Orchestrate 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 custom resources for the control plane and watsonx Orchestrate 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 multiple services at the same time, follow the process in Running a batch installation of solutions and services instead.
If you didn't install watsonx Orchestrate as part of a batch installation, complete this task to add watsonx Orchestrate to your environment.
Repeat as needed If you are responsible for multiple instances of IBM Software Hub, you can repeat this task to install more instances of watsonx Orchestrate on the cluster.

Important: You cannot install watsonx Orchestrate and standalone watsonx Assistant on the same instance of IBM Software Hub. If you want to install these services on the same Red Hat® OpenShift® Container Platform cluster, you must install each service on a different instance of IBM Software Hub. For more information see Multitenancy considerations.

Information you need to complete this task

Review the following information before you install watsonx Orchestrate:

Version requirements: All of the components that are associated with an instance of IBM Software Hub must be installed at the same release. For example, if the IBM Software Hub control plane is installed at Version 5.4.0, you must install watsonx Orchestrate at Version 5.4.0.

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

Storage requirements

You must specify storage classes when you install watsonx Orchestrate. 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 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 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	Not supported.	Not applicable.
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-db-gp3-sc`
NFS	Not supported.	Not applicable.
Amazon Elastic storage	Not supported.	Not applicable.
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`
Nutanix	Not supported.	Not applicable.

Before you begin

This task assumes that the following prerequisites are met:

System requirements

This task assumes that the cluster meets the minimum requirements for watsonx Orchestrate.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see System requirements.

In addition, if you plan to use features that require GPU, ensure that you have the appropriate type and number of GPU for watsonx Orchestrate.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see GPU requirements.

Workstation

This task assumes that the workstation from which you will run the installation is set up as a client workstation and has the following command-line interfaces:

IBM Software Hub CLI: cpd-cli
OpenShift CLI: oc
Helm CLI: helm

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Setting up a client workstation.

Control plane

This task assumes that the IBM Software Hub control plane is installed.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Installing an instance of IBM Software Hub.

Private container registry

If your environment uses a private container registry (for example, your cluster is air-gapped), this task assumes that the following tasks are complete:

The watsonx Orchestrate software images are mirrored to the private container registry.
Where to find more information

If this task is not complete, see Mirroring images to a private container registry.
The cpd-cli is configured to pull the olm-utils-v4 image from the private container registry.
Where to find more information

If this task is not complete, see Pulling the olm-utils-v4 image from the private container registry.

GPU operators

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Mirroring images to a private container registry.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Pulling the olm-utils-v4 image from the private container registry.

If you plan to use features that require GPUs, this task assumes that the operators required to use GPUs are installed.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Installing operators for services that require GPUs.

Red Hat OpenShift AI

If you plan to use features that require Red Hat OpenShift AI, this task assumes that Red Hat OpenShift AI is installed.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Installing Red Hat OpenShift AI.

Multicloud Object Gateway

This task assumes that the following tasks are complete:

Multicloud Object Gateway is installed and configured.
Where to find more information

If this task is not complete, see Installing Multicloud Object Gateway.
The secrets that enable watsonx Orchestrate to connect to Multicloud Object Gateway exist.
Where to find more information

If this task is not complete, see Creating secrets for services that use Multicloud Object Gateway.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Installing Multicloud Object Gateway.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Creating secrets for services that use Multicloud Object Gateway.

Note: You create secrets for the Multi‑Cloud Object Gateway only if you are installing watsonx™ Orchestrate in agentic_assistant mode.

Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing

This task assumes that the following tasks are complete:

Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing is installed.
Where to find more information

If this task is not complete, see Installing Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing.
The IBM Events Operator is installed for the instance.
Where to find more information

If this task is not complete, see Installing the IBM Events Operator.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Installing Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Installing the IBM Events Operator.

Important: Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Knative Eventing is required only if you install watsonx Orchestrate in agentic_assistant mode.

Cluster-scoped resources

This task assumes that the cluster-scoped resources, such as custom resource definitions, cluster roles, and cluster role bindings, exist.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Creating cluster-scoped resources for the IBM Software Hub platform and services.

Image pull secrets

This task assumes that the secrets that contain the image pull credentials for the instance exist.

Where to find more information
If this task is not complete, see Creating image pull secrets for an instance of IBM Software Hub.

Identity Management Service

This task assumes that IBM Software Hub is configured to use the Identity Management Service.

To check whether IBM Software Hub is using the Identity Management Service, run:

oc get zenservice lite-cr \
-n ${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
-o jsonpath='{.spec.iamIntegration}'

If the command returns true, no additional action is required.
If the command returns false, complete Integrating with the Identity Management Service.

Pre-installation verification

Verify the mandatory pre-installation components before you install watsonx Orchestrate. Go to Pre-installation verification.

Procedure

Complete the following tasks to install watsonx Orchestrate:

Specifying installation options
Installing the service
Validating the installation
What to do next

Specifying installation options

If you plan to install watsonx Orchestrate configuration, specify the appropriate installation options in a file named install-options.yml in the cpd-cli work directory (For example: cpd-cli-workspace/olm-utils-workspace/work).

The installation options that you specify depend on several factors. The first factor that you must consider is where you want to install the foundation models for watsonx Orchestrate. You can use foundation models on:

The same cluster as watsonx Orchestrate

Choosing a model	GPU requirements
You must use the models provided by IBM.	You must have sufficient GPU on the cluster where you plan to install watsonx Orchestrate.

A remote or external cluster by using AI gateway

Choosing a model	GPU requirements
You can choose whether to use: The models provided by IBM A custom model If you use a custom model, you must register the external model through AI gateway.	Local GPU is not required. Remote GPU might be required: If you plan to host models on a remote cluster, you must have sufficient GPU on the cluster where you plan to install the foundation models. For more information on GPU requirements, consult the documentation from the model provider. If you plan to use models hosted by a third-party, you don't need GPU.

After you decide where you will install the foundation models, you can decide which features you want to install:

Only the agentic AI features
The agentic AI features and Assistant Builder features.

Models provided by IBM: Private container registry users: You must mirror the images for the models that you plan to use to the private container registry. For more information, see Determining which models to mirror to your private container registry.

Choose the appropriate YAML based on where you plan to install the foundation models:

Install foundation models on the same cluster as watsonx Orchestrate

Retain the --- syntax at the beginning of the entry to ensure that this entry is treated as a separate document.

---
# ............................................................................
# watsonx Orchestrate parameters
# ............................................................................
non_olm:
  watsonxOrchestrate:
    size: medium
    installMode: "agentic"
    watsonxAI:
      watsonxaiifm: true
      ootbModels:
        - gpt-oss-120b

Use foundation models on a remote or external cluster by using AI gateway

Retain the --- syntax at the beginning of the entry to ensure that this entry is treated as a separate document.

---
# ............................................................................
# watsonx Orchestrate parameters
# ............................................................................
non_olm:
  watsonxOrchestrate:
    size: medium
    installMode: "agentic"
    watsonxAI:
      watsonxaiifm: false
      ootbModels:
        - gpt-oss-120b

Property	Description
`installMode`	Specify the features that you plan to install. Default value `agentic` If you omit this option, the default value is used. Valid values `agentic` Install only the agentic AI features. `agentic_assistant` Install the agentic AI features and Assistant Builder features.
`watsonxaiifm`	Specify whether to install Inference foundation models (`watsonx_ai_ifm`) based on where you plan to install the foundation models. Default value `false` If you omit this option, the default value is used. Valid values `false` Do not install Inference foundation models. Specify this option if you plan to install the foundation models on a remote cluster or use foundation models hosted by a third-party. After you install watsonx Orchestrate, you must use the AI gateway to connect to the foundation models. `true` Install the Inference foundation models. Specify this option if you plan to install the foundation models on the cluster the same cluster as watsonx Orchestrate. Remember: You must have sufficient GPU for the models that you plan to install.
`ootbModels`	Specify the models to install based on the features that you want to enable. This option is valid only if you install the foundation models on the same cluster as watsonx Orchestrate (`watsonxaiifm: true`). Default value `gpt-oss-120b` Valid values `gpt-oss-120b` This model is required. Install the gpt-oss-120b model by specifying the model ID: `ootbModels: [gpt-oss-120b]` `ibm-slate-30m-english-rtrvr` This model is required. Install the slate-30m-english-rtrvr model by specifying the model ID: `ootbModels: [ibm-slate-30m-english-rtrvr]` Installing multiple general models To install multiple general models, specify a comma-separated list of model IDs. For example: `ootbModels: [gpt-oss-120b,ibm-slate-30m-english-rtrvr]`
`size`	The deployment size for watsonx Orchestrate. The deployment size determines the number of resources allocated to watsonx Orchestrate. Default value `medium` Valid values `medium` A medium deployment has at least two replicas of each pod to support production-scale workloads. `medium` is equivalent to the medium `scaleConfig` setting. `small` A small deployment has fewer resources and less computing power than a production deployment. `small` is the equivalent to the small `scaleConfig` setting.

Installing the service

To install watsonx Orchestrate:

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.

Install the operator and custom resource for watsonx Orchestrate.

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

Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation storage

Run the appropriate command for your environment:

Default installation (without installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET}

Custom installation (with installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml

IBM Fusion Data Foundation storage

Run the appropriate command for your environment:

Default installation (without installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET}

Custom installation (with installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml

Portworx storage

Run the appropriate command for your environment:

Default installation (without installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--storage_vendor=portworx \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET}

Custom installation (with installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--storage_vendor=portworx \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml

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 appropriate command for your environment:

Default installation (without installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET}

Custom installation (with installation options)

cpd-cli manage install-components \
--license_acceptance=true \
--components=watsonx_orchestrate \
--release=${VERSION} \
--patch_id=${PATCH_ID} \
--operator_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERATORS} \
--instance_ns=${PROJECT_CPD_INST_OPERANDS} \
--block_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_BLOCK} \
--file_storage_class=${STG_CLASS_FILE} \
--image_pull_prefix=${IMAGE_PULL_PREFIX} \
--image_pull_secret=${IMAGE_PULL_SECRET} \
--param-file=/tmp/work/install-options.yml

Validating the installation

watsonx Orchestrate is installed when the install-components command returns:

[SUCCESS]... The install-components 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=watsonx_orchestrate

What to do next

When you face any issue with watsonx Orchestrate installation, see Troubleshooting issues in watsonx Orchestrate.
Complete the mandatory Post-installation setup for watsonx Orchestrate.
To enable the users to access watsonx Orchestrate, see Giving users access to a watsonx Orchestrate instance.
You can configure IFM models, enable specific models or disable unused models. For more information, see Configuring IFM models after install or upgrade.
You can add, display, modify, or delete the external models by using external AI Gateway. For more information, see Registering external models through AI gateway.
Optional: To enable Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), see [Optional]Enabling Intelligent Document Processing.