Edge Requirements¶

On this page you will learn about the network, hardware, and system requirements for setting up and running Kelvin edge clusters.

Overview¶

Edge computers can be physical machines near assets, virtual machines on local or cloud servers, or cloud-based PaaS instances. You can read more about possible setup architectures here.

This guide is essential for administrators working in tightly controlled network environments with strict firewall policies. It provides clear guidance on which ports and services must be accessible during installation versus ongoing operations.

Quick Links¶

• What firewall ports do I need to open for initial installation?
• What firewall ports must remain open after installation?
• What are the minimum hardware requirements?
• What operating systems are supported?
• How should I configure my network?
• What cluster setup options are available?

Initial Installation Requirements¶

These requirements apply when you are first installing the Kelvin cluster. After successful installation, you can close these ports except for those listed in Operational Requirements.

Firewall Requirements for Installation¶

Configure your firewall to allow outbound connections to the following services during cluster installation:

Operational Requirements¶

These requirements must be met continuously while the cluster is running. These ports and services must remain accessible.

Communication Ports¶

The following ports must remain open in your firewall for your cluster to communicate with the Kelvin Platform and your Assets.

Cloud Communication¶

Your cluster needs to maintain communication with the Kelvin Platform/Nexus:

Cluster Internal Communication¶

For multi-node clusters, the following ports are required for inter-node communication:

Kelvin SmartApp™ Services (Optional)¶

These ports are only needed if you deploy Kelvin SmartApps™ with local services that need to be accessed from your network:

Asset Communication Ports¶

If you communicate via Ethernet to your Assets (such as using Modbus TCP or OPC-UA), you will need to refer to your Asset's documentation to determine which ports must be opened:

Network Requirements¶

This section covers network configuration requirements for your cluster.

Static IP Address for Main Node¶

If you plan to use a Kubernetes or K3s solution and will set up a cluster with multiple nodes, the Main Node must have a static IP address.

Hardware Requirements¶

This section covers the minimum hardware specifications for running Kelvin clusters.

Kubernetes Physical Nodes¶

For physical machines running Kubernetes:

Kubernetes Virtual Machines¶

For virtual machine deployments, size your VMs according to your expected workload:

Docker Physical Nodes¶

For physical machines running Docker (single-node deployments):

Operating System Requirements¶

This section covers supported operating systems for physical hardware and virtual machine deployments.

Recommended: Ubuntu Server¶

If you are installing the Kelvin Edge onto physical hardware or a virtual machine, we strongly recommend using Ubuntu Server as your operating system.

Other Operating Systems¶

Technically, you can install on any operating system that fully supports Kubernetes or Docker. However:

Cluster Setup Options¶

This section explains the different ways you can deploy and manage your Kelvin edge cluster.

Kelvin Platform is built on Kubernetes, providing a secure and scalable infrastructure. It supports various Kubernetes flavors and deployment options to match your operational needs.

Supported Infrastructure Options¶

Self-Managed Kubernetes Flavors:

• Kubernetes (standard)
• K3s (lightweight Kubernetes)
• Other Kubernetes-compatible distributions

Cloud PaaS Kubernetes Services:

• AKS – Azure Kubernetes Service
• EKS – Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service
• GKE – Google Kubernetes Engine

Kelvin Managed Solutions¶

Choose these options if you want Kelvin to handle all cluster installation, maintenance, and upgrades automatically.

If you do not have Kubernetes experience or do not want to spend effort managing your own Kubernetes clusters, Kelvin can fully manage your cluster for you.

Kelvin offers two fully managed solutions:

K3s - Managed Kubernetes Cluster¶

Select K3s from the Kelvin UI when creating your cluster.

Key Features:

• Full Kubernetes solution with multi-node support
• Automatic installation and configuration
• Managed upgrades and maintenance
• Scalable from single node to multiple nodes

Technical Specifications:

• Max 110 pods per node
• 16 pods reserved per cluster for core system Kelvin SmartApps™
• Core services consume 2 GB storage space
• Pod CIDR: 10.42.0.0/16
• Service CIDR: 10.43.0.0/24

How to Set Up:

Refer to Provision a K3s Cluster for step-by-step setup instructions.

Figure: Creating a new K3s cluster in the Kelvin UI

Docker - Managed Single Node¶

Select Docker from the Kelvin UI when creating your cluster.

Key Features:

• Lightweight single-node installation
• Ideal for low-resource edge devices
• Simplified management
• Automatic setup and maintenance

Best Use Cases:

• Edge devices with limited resources
• Single-asset monitoring scenarios
• IoT gateway deployments
• Development and testing environments

How to Set Up:

Refer to Provision Docker Cluster for step-by-step setup instructions.

Figure: Creating a new Docker cluster in the Kelvin UI

Self-Managed Solutions¶

Choose these options if you want to manage your own Kubernetes infrastructure.

If you already run your own Kubernetes infrastructure or prefer full control over your cluster configuration, you can choose a self-managed option.

Figure: Creating a self-managed Kubernetes cluster in the Kelvin UI

Self-Managed Kubernetes (Physical/VM)¶

For generic open-source Kubernetes deployments on bare metal or virtual machines (local data center or cloud).

Your Responsibilities:

• Kubernetes installation and configuration
• Cluster maintenance and upgrades
• Resource sizing and capacity planning
• High availability and disaster recovery

Useful Resources:

• Production Environment Considerations
• Considerations for Large Clusters
• Running in Multiple Zones

Self-Managed K3s (Physical/VM)¶

For users managing their own K3s setup on low-resource devices or virtual machines.

Your Responsibilities:

• K3s installation and configuration
• Cluster maintenance and upgrades
• Node management

Useful Resources:

• K3s Requirements
• K3s FAQ

Amazon EKS (Cloud)¶

Use this option to run your Kubernetes cluster in AWS using Amazon EKS.

Your Responsibilities:

• EKS cluster setup and configuration
• Resource sizing and instance type selection
• Operational costs and billing optimization
• AWS service quotas and regional availability

Useful Resources:

• Choosing an AWS Container Service
• Getting Started with AWS Batch on Amazon EKS
• Amazon EKS Service Quotas
• Choosing an Amazon EC2 Instance Type
• Amazon EKS Pricing

Microsoft AKS (Cloud)¶

Use this option to run your Kubernetes cluster in Azure using Microsoft AKS.

Your Responsibilities:

• AKS cluster setup and configuration
• Service quotas and regional availability
• Billing optimization and cost management
• Azure-specific networking and security

Useful Resources:

• Kubernetes Core Concepts for Azure Kubernetes Service
• Azure Well-Architected Framework Review
• Quotas, Virtual Machine Size Restrictions, and Region Availability
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Architecture Design
• Optimize Costs in Azure Kubernetes Service

Google GKE (Cloud)¶

Use this option to run your Kubernetes cluster in Google Cloud using GKE.

Your Responsibilities:

• GKE cluster setup and configuration
• Resource sizing and machine type selection
• Cost optimization and quota management
• Google Cloud-specific networking and security