Create OCP Namespace SWT Workflow

This repository contains an advanced serverless workflow example namedcreate-ocp-namespace-swt. The workflow creates a namespace on behalf of an OpenShift user. If the user requests a large namespace, an issue is opened in a GitLab repository and the workflow waits for the issue to be labelled as approved. The workflow uses a Backstage Software Template behind the scenes to create the namespace via GitOps after approval.

Note, this is designed for use with the Orchestrator feature in Red Hat Developer Hub.

Prerequisites

Before deploying this workflow, you must have:

1. Red Hat Developer Hub with Orchestrator feature enabled
2. OpenShift Cluster (4.18+)
3. SonataFlow Operator installed on your cluster
4. PostgreSQL database for workflow persistence (can use the existing Red Hat Developer Hub PostgreSQL)
5. Helm 3.x for deployment
6. GitLab instance with API access

Installation

Quick Start

The easiest way to deploy this workflow is using Helm:

# Add the Helm repository
helm repo add advanced-workflows http://evanshortiss.com/orchestrator-serverless-workflows/
helm repo update

# Install the workflow
helm install create-ocp-namespace-swt advanced-workflows/create-ocp-namespace-swt \
  --set env.backstageBackendUrl="https://your-rhdh-instance.com" \
  --set env.backstageBackendBearerToken="your-backstage-token" \
  --set env.gitlabUrl="https://gitlab.your-domain.com" \
  --set env.gitlabToken="your-gitlab-token"

Advanced Installation

For more control over the configuration, especially PostgreSQL, create a custom values file:

# Create a values file
cat > my-values.yaml <<EOF
env:
  backstageBackendUrl: "https://your-rhdh-instance.com"
  backstageBackendBearerToken: "your-backstage-token"
  gitlabUrl: "https://gitlab.your-domain.com"
  gitlabToken: "your-gitlab-token"
  swtRef: "template:default/orchestrator-namespace-request"

persistence:
  postgresql:
    secretRef:
      name: backstage-psql-secret
      userKey: POSTGRES_USER
      passwordKey: POSTGRES_PASSWORD
    serviceRef:
      name: backstage-psql
      port: 5432
      databaseName: orchestrator
      databaseSchema: create-ocp-namespace-swt

image:
  repository: ghcr.io/evanshortiss/create-ocp-namespace-swt
EOF

# Install with custom values
helm install create-ocp-namespace-swt orchestrator-workflows/create-ocp-namespace-swt -f my-values.yaml

Configuration

The following environment variables must be configured:

Variable	Description	Example
backstageBackendUrl	URL of your Red Hat Developer Hub instance	https://rhdh.example.com
backstageBackendBearerToken	Service account token for RHDH API access	eyJhbGc...
gitlabUrl	URL of your GitLab instance	https://gitlab.example.com
gitlabToken	GitLab access token with API permissions	glpat-...
swtRef	Software template reference	template:default/orchestrator-namespace-request

Repository Structure

• create-ocp-namespace-swt/ - Main workflow implementation (SonataFlow definition)
• scripts/ - Build and deployment scripts
• resources/ - Docker build context and Dockerfile
• charts/ - Helm chart for deployment
• .github/workflows/ - CI/CD pipeline for automated builds

Development

Building Locally

The workflow is automatically built via GitHub Actions, but you can build locally:

# Set environment variables
export WORKFLOW_IMAGE_REGISTRY="quay.io"
export WORKFLOW_IMAGE_NAMESPACE="your-username"
export WORKFLOW_IMAGE_TAG="0.1.0"

# Run build script
./scripts/build-push.sh

Versioning

The workflow version is managed in create-ocp-namespace-swt/pom.xml. Update the version there, and the CI/CD pipeline will automatically build and publish the new version.