Set up Creatio instance for working with Clio

Level: advanced

Before you set up Creatio instance for working with Clio, install Clio. Instructions: Install Clio.

You can connect Clio to an existing Creatio instance or deploy a Creatio instance from scratch using Clio.

Connect Clio to an existing Creatio instance

1. Open the terminal of Visual Studio Code or run the command-line interface as administrator.

2. Run the clio reg-web-app SomeEnvironmentName -u SomeCreatioURL -l SomeLogin -p SomePassword command, where:

   • SomeEnvironmentName is the name of your Creatio environment.
   • SomeCreatioURL is the URL of already deployed Creatio instance.
   • SomeLogin is the user login to the Creatio instance.
   • SomePassword is the user password to the Creatio instance.

Deploy a Creatio instance using Clio

Clio lets you deploy Creatio on .NET and .NET Framework platforms and use Microsoft SQL or PostgreSQL DBMS.

1. Install additional components

1. Install Linux on Windows (for Windows only). Instructions: How to install Linux on Windows with WSL (official vendor documentation).

   View the example that configures .wlsconfig file below.

   .wlsconfig file

   [wsl2]
   memory=8GB # Limits VM memory in WSL 2 to 16 GB
   processors=4 # Makes the WSL VM use 8 virtual processors

2. Install Rancher Desktop that creates a local Kubernetes cluster. Instructions: Rancher Desktop by SUSE (official vendor documentation).

   We recommend using the latest stable Kubernetes version and Docker Container Engine.

3. Make sure that you have required Windows components enabled (for Windows only).

   1. Run the clio check-windows-features command.
   2. Check enabled components. Enable required components if needed. Instructions: Enable required Windows components (user documentation).

2. Set up a local Kubernetes cluster

1. Run the kubectl cluster-info command to make sure that local Kubernetes cluster is installed.

2. Run the clio create-k8-files command to generate k8s manifests for required components. This creates the C:\Users\SomeWindowsUser\AppData\Local\creatio\clio\infrastructure directory for Windows or /home/SomeLinuxUser/.local/share/creatio/clio/infrastructure for Linux. The directory includes pre-configured services of your environment, such as Email Listener, Microsoft SQL server, PostgreSQL server, Redis server and pgAdmin GUI to manage PostgreSQL databases.

   

3. Set up paths to the generated k8s manifests.

   1. Go to the infrastructure directory in command-line interface.

   2. Run the following commands.

      # Retrieve the path to the "appsettings.json" file and store it in the "$appsettings" variable.
      $appsettings = clio externalLink clio://GetAppSettingsFilePath
      
      # Extract the directory path of the "appsettings.json" file and store it in the "$dir" variable.
      $dir = Get-Item $appsettings | Select-Object -ExpandProperty DirectoryName
      
      # Change the current location to the "infrastructure" directory located next to "appsettings.json" file.
      Set-Location -Path $dir/infrastructure
      
      # Display all files and subdirectories in the "infrastructure" directory.
      Get-ChildItem -Path $dir/infrastructure

4. Make sure your kubectl context is set to Rancher Desktop. Otherwise, your Creatio instance will be deployed into another Kubernetes cluster.

5. Modify nested files in the infrastructure subdirectories to redefine CPU resources dedicated to Creatio (optional).

   1. Go to the clio directory in command-line interface.

   2. Run the code . command to open the structure of clio directory in Visual Studio Code.

   3. Redefine CPU resources.

      For PostgreSQL

      1. Go to the postgres directory → postgres-stateful-set.yaml file.
      2. Redefine requested amount of postgres-data storage. To do this, go to the spec object → volumeClaimTemplates array of objects → object whose name string is "postgres-data" → spec object → resources object → requests map → storage string → change to "10Gi."
      3. Redefine requested amount of postgres-backup-images storage. To do this, go to the spec object → volumeClaimTemplates array of objects → object whose name string is "postgres-backup-images" → spec object → resources object → requests map → storage string → change to "3Gi."
      4. Open the postgres-volumes.yaml file.
      5. Redefine quantity of postgres-data-pv resource. To do this, go to the object whose name string is "postgres-data-pv" → spec object → capacity map → storage string → change to "10Gi."
      6. Redefine quantity of postgres-backup-images-pv resource. To do this, go to the object whose name string is "postgres-backup-images-pv" → spec object → capacity map → storage string → change to "3Gi."
      For Microsoft SQL

      7. Go to the mssql directory → mssql-stateful-set.yaml file.
      8. Redefine requested amount of mssql-data storage. To do this, go to the spec object → volumeClaimTemplates array of objects → object whose name string is "mssql-data" → spec object → resources object → requests map → storage string → change to "10Gi."
      9. Open the mssql-volumes.yaml file.
      10. Redefine quantity of clio-mssql-data-pv resource. To do this, go to the object whose name string is "clio-mssql-data-pv" → spec object → capacity map → storage string → change to "10Gi."

6. Apply the changes.

   1. Go to the command-line interface that is run as administrator.

   2. Go to the infrastructure directory.

   3. Run the following commands.

      # Create or update Kubernetes resources defined in the "clio-namespace.yaml' file.
      kubectl apply -f clio-namespace.yaml
      
      # Create or update a Kubernetes "StorageClass" defined in the "clio-storage-class.yaml" file.
      kubectl apply -f clio-storage-class.yaml
      
      # Apply Kubernetes resource files located in the "redis" directory.
      kubectl apply -f .\redis
      
      # Create or update Kubernetes resources located in the "postgres" directory.
      kubectl apply -f .\postgres
      
      # Create or update Kubernetes resources located in the "pgadmin" directory.
      kubectl apply -f .\pgadmin

7. Make sure Rancher Desktop includes required resources.

   1. Open the Rancher Desktop.

   2. Click Cluster Dashboard to open the Rancher - Local Cluster - Cluster Dashboard window.

      

   3. Click Workloads → Deployment to open the Rancher - Local Cluster - Deployments tab.

   4. Make sure the clio-pgadmin and clio-redis have the "Active" states.

      

   5. Click StatefulSets to open the Rancher - Local Cluster - StatefulSets tab.

   6. Make sure the clio-postgres has the "Active" state.

      

      Otherwise, we recommend deleting all the files from the postgres directory:

      1. Go to the command-line interface that is run as administrator.
      2. Go to the infrastructure directory.
      3. Run the kubectl delete -f postgres command.
      4. Open the Rancher Desktop.
      5. Click Cluster Dashboard to open the Rancher - Local Cluster - Cluster Dashboard window.
      6. Click Storage → PersistentVolumes to open the Rancher - Local Cluster - PersistentVolumes tab.
      7. Click → Delete.
      8. Click Storage → PersistentVolumeClaims to open the Rancher - Local Cluster - PersistentVolumeClaims tab.
      9. Select the postgres-data-clio-postgres-0 and postgres-backup-images-clio-postgres-0 checkboxes → click Delete → confirm the action.
      10. Run the kubectl apply -f .\postgres command to re-create Kubernetes resources located in the postgres directory.
      11. Make sure Rancher Desktop includes required resources.

3. Verify that the pgAdmin GUI is accessible

1. Find the port number through which pgAdmin is accessible.

   1. Open the structure of clio directory in Visual Studio Code.
   2. Go to the pgadmin directory → pgadmin-services.yaml file.
   3. Go to the spec object → ports array of objects → port integer value. The port number is "1080."

2. Find the user credentials to login.

   1. Open the pgadmin-secrets.yaml file.

   2. Go to the stringData object.

      The PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL string includes email to log in to pgAdmin website and is equal to "root@creatio.com."

      The PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD string includes password to log in to pgAdmin website and is equal to "root."

3. Log in to http://localhost:1080 URL using user credentials. This opens the pgAdmin website.

   

4. Click Servers → PostgreSQL to open the Connect to Server window.

5. Connect to the PostgreSQL server using the same user password as the pgAdmin website. This opens the Activity tab for the connected server.

   

6. Allow pgAdmin to display template databases.

   1. Click File → Preferences to open the Preferences tab.
   2. Go to the Browser → Display.
   3. Select the Show template databases? checkbox.
   4. Click . This opens the Object explorer refresh required window.
   5. Click Refresh.

4. Set up Redis server

1. Install Redis extension (Redis Client for Visual Studio Code). Instructions: official vendor website.

2. Connect to the server.

   1. Click Create Connection to open the Connect to server tab.

      

   2. Fill out the connection parameters.

      Parameter	Description
      Name	An arbitrary name for Redis server. For example, "Redis-Clio."

      Leave default values for other connection parameters.

   3. Click .

Out of the box, Redis server supports 99 databases. To check whether the database is supported by the Redis server:

1. Click to open the Redis terminal.
2. Run the select SomeDatabaseIndex command.

As a result:

• If the terminal returns "OK" response, a database whose number is SomeDatabaseIndex can be supported by the Redis server.
• If the terminal returns "ERR DB index is out of range" response, a database whose number is SomeDatabaseIndex cannot be supported by the Redis server.

5. Select the way to deploy Creatio

Clio lets you deploy Creatio in the following ways:

• using File Explorer context menu
• using terminal

Before you select the way to deploy Creatio:

1. Find the path and name of the IIS root directory where Clio is deployed. The directory path and name are specified in the iis-clio-root-path property of the C:\Users\SomeWindowsUser\AppData\Local\creatio\clio\appsettings.json file. Out of the box, C:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\clio.
2. Create the IIS root directory.
3. Make sure that IIS_IUSRS user has the Full control checkbox selected for the IIS root directory.
4. Contact Creatio support to receive Creatio setup zip archive. We recommend using PostgreSQL database.
5. Save Creatio setup zip archive to the directory on your local device. The directory path is specified in the creatio-products property of the C:\Users\SomeWindowsUser\AppData\Local\creatio\clio\appsettings.json file. Out of the box, C:\\CreatioProductBuild.

Deploy Creatio using File Explorer context menu

1. Open the directory that has Creatio setup zip archive saved.

2. Right-click a Creatio setup zip archive → clio: deploy Creatio. This opens the Windows command prompt.

   

   If context menu does not include Clio options, re-register Clio. To do this:

   1. Go to the command-line interface that is run as administrator.
   2. Run the clio register command.

3. Fill out the parameters to deploy Creatio.

   Parameter	Description
   Please enter site name	An arbitrary name of the Creatio to deploy. For example, "DevEnv."
   Please enter site port, Max value - 65535: (recommended range between 40000 and 40100)	Port to access deployed Creatio website. For example, "40015."

4. Click Enter to start deploying Creatio. Operation might take some time.

Deploy Creatio using terminal

1. Open the terminal of Visual Studio Code or run the command-line interface as administrator.

2. Run the clio deploy-creatio --SiteName SomeCreatioWebsite --SitePort SomePort --ZipFile PathToSomeCreatioArchive command, where:

   • SomeCreatioWebsite is an arbitrary name of your Creatio website.
   • SomePort is the port number to deploy Creatio instance.
   • PathToSomeCreatioArchive is the full path to the Creatio setup zip archive including archive name.

   This starts deploying Creatio. Operation might take some time.

As a result:

• Creatio instance will be deployed.
• Creatio login page will be opened in the browser. Log in to Creatio using your user credentials.

Now you can start using Clio and execute different operation with Creatio using Clio directly from Visual Studio Code based on your business goals. Instructions: Use Clio.

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See also

Install Clio

Use Clio

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Resources

Official Clio documentation (GitHub)

Clio explorer extension for Visual Studio Code

Official Redis website

Clio tutorials (YouTube)