--- name: openshift-openshift_tutorial title: Setting up your first classic cluster in the CLI description: In this tutorial, you deploy an Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud cluster on Classic infrastructure by using the CLI. last-updated: 2026-08-03 --- > ## Documentation Index > The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/openshift?format=markdown > The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt > Use these files to discover more information as needed. # Setting up your first classic cluster in the CLI {: #openshift_tutorial} {: toc-content-type="tutorial"} {: toc-services="openshift"} {: toc-completion-time="45m"} [Classic infrastructure]{: tag-classic-inf} In this tutorial, you deploy an Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud cluster on Classic infrastructure by using the CLI. {: shortdesc} ## Audience {: #openshift_audience} This tutorial is designed for cluster administrators who want to learn how to create a Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud cluster for the first time by using the CLI. ## Objectives {: #openshift_objectives} In this tutorial, you complete the following tasks. - Create a cluster in Washington, DC with 2 worker nodes that have 4 cores and 16 GB memory. - Open the Red Hat OpenShift web console. - Deploy a sample app. - Expose the app on a Route so that external users can access the service. ## What you'll get {: #openshift_get} In this tutorial, you create the following resources by using the CLI. There are optional steps to delete these resources if you don't want to keep them after completing the tutorial. - A classic cluster with 2 worker nodes - A simple Hello World app deployed to your cluster - A route to expose your app ![Cluster architecture](images/cs-app-components1.svg){: caption="Cluster architecture" caption-side="bottom"} ## Prerequisites {: #openshift_prereqs} 1. Check your permissions. If you are the account owner, you already have the required permissions to create a cluster and can continue to the next step. If you are not the account owner, ask the account owner to [set up an API key and assign you required permissions in IBM Cloud IAM](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/openshift?topic=openshift-iam-platform-access-roles&format=markdown). 1. [Install the IBM Cloud CLI tools](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/openshift?topic=openshift-cli-install&format=markdown). ## Create a Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud cluster {: #openshift_create_cluster} {: step} 1. Log in to your account and resource group. If you have a federated account, include the `--sso` option. ```sh ibmcloud login [-g RESOURCE GROUP] [--sso] ``` {: pre} 1. Run the following command to create a version 4.21 cluster in Washington, DC with 2 worker nodes that have 4 cores and 16 GB memory. ```sh ibmcloud oc cluster create classic --name my-tutorial-cluster --location wdc04 --version 4.21_openshift --flavor b3c.4x16 --workers 2 --public-service-endpoint ``` {: pre} 1. Your cluster creation might take some time to complete. After the cluster state shows **Normal**, the cluster network and Ingress components take about 10 more minutes to deploy and update the cluster domain that you use for the Red Hat OpenShift web console and other routes. 1. List your cluster details. Review the cluster **State**, check the **Ingress Subdomain**, and note the **Master URL**. ```sh ibmcloud oc cluster get --cluster CLUSTER_NAME_OR_ID ``` {: pre} 1. Download and add the `kubeconfig` configuration file for your cluster. ```sh ibmcloud oc cluster config --cluster CLUSTER_NAME_OR_ID ``` {: pre} 1. In your browser, navigate to the address of your **Master URL** and append `/console`. For example, `https://c0.containers.cloud.ibm.com:23652/console`. 1. Verify that the `oc` commands run properly with your cluster by checking the version. ```sh oc version ``` {: pre} Example output ```sh Client Version: v4.21.0 Kubernetes Version: v1.35.7.2 ``` {: screen} If you can't perform operations that require Administrator permissions, such as listing all the worker nodes or pods in a cluster, download the TLS certificates and permission files for the cluster administrator by running the `ibmcloud oc cluster config --cluster --admin` command. {: tip} ## Navigate the Red Hat OpenShift console {: #openshift_oc_console} {: step} 1. From the [console](https://cloud.ibm.com/containers/cluster-management/clusters){: external}, select your Red Hat OpenShift cluster, then click **OpenShift web console**. 2. To work with your cluster in the CLI, click your profile **`IAM#user.name@email.com` > Copy Login Command**. Display and copy the `oc login` token command into your command line to authenticate by using the CLI. ## Deploy an app to your cluster {: #openshift_deploy_app} {: step} 1. Create a project for your Hello World app. ```sh oc new-project hello-world ``` {: pre} 1. Build the sample app [from the source code](https://github.com/IBM/container-service-getting-started-wt){: external} by using the `oc new-app` command. ```sh oc new-app --name hello-world https://github.com/IBM/container-service-getting-started-wt --context-dir="Lab 1" ``` {: pre} A warning message might be displayed in the output, but it does not affect this example. 1. List the **hello-world** services and note the service name. Your app listens for traffic on these internal cluster IP addresses unless you create a route for the service so that the Ingress controller can forward external traffic requests to the app. ```sh oc get svc -n hello-world ``` {: pre} Example output ```sh NAME TYPE CLUSTER-IP EXTERNAL-IP PORT(S) AGE hello-world ClusterIP 172.21.xxx.xxx 8080/TCP 31m ``` {: screen} 1. List the pods and make sure that the **hello-world** pods status is **Running** and the `build` and `deploy` pods are **Completed** ```sh oc get pods -n hello-world ``` {: pre} Example output ```sh NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE hello-world-1-9cv7d 1/1 Running 0 30m hello-world-1-build 0/1 Completed 0 31m hello-world-1-deploy 0/1 Completed 0 31m ``` {: screen} 1. Set up a route so that you can publicly access the hello world service. ```sh oc create route edge --service=hello-world -n hello-world ``` {: pre} 1. Get the route hostname address from the **Host/Port** output. ```sh oc get route -n hello-world ``` {: pre} Example output ```sh NAME HOST/PORT PATH SERVICES PORT TERMINATION WILDCARD hello-world hello-world-hello.world.CLUSTER-NAME-RANDOM-ID.REGION.containers.appdomain.cloud hello-world 8080-tcp edge/Allow None ``` {: screen} 1. Access your app. Be sure to append `https://` to your route hostname. It might take a minute before the exposed service is visible. ```sh curl https://hello-world-hello-world.CLUSTER-NAME-RANDOM-ID.REGION.containers.appdomain.cloud ``` {: pre} Example output ```sh Hello world from hello-world-9cv7d! Your app is up and running in a cluster! ``` {: screen} ## Clean up the tutorial resources {: #openshift-tutorial-cleanup} {: step} 1. List the resources in the `hello-world` project. ```sh oc get all -l app=hello-world -o name -n hello-world ``` {: pre} Example output ```sh pod/hello-world-1-dh2ff replicationcontroller/hello-world-1 service/hello-world deploymentconfig.apps.openshift.io/hello-world buildconfig.build.openshift.io/hello-world build.build.openshift.io/hello-world-1 imagestream.image.openshift.io/hello-world imagestream.image.openshift.io/node route.route.openshift.io/hello-world ``` {: screen} 1. Delete the resources. ```sh oc delete all -l app=hello-world -n hello-world ``` {: pre} ## What's next? {: #openshift_next} Install two popular Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud cluster add-ons: [IBM Cloud Logs](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/openshift?topic=openshift-health&format=markdown) and [IBM Cloud Monitoring](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/openshift?topic=openshift-health-monitor&format=markdown).