In this guide, you’ll learn how to configure bare metal servers as Kubernetes worker nodes using the CLASTIX platform. This setup combines the ease of Managed K8s with the control and performance of dedicated hardware. Let’s get started! You can also use Terraform to set up your K8s cluster. Check our setup guide here.

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Requirements

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Step 1: Set up your Kubernetes control plane

1

Access CLASTIX playground

Access the CLASTIX playground and log in with your GitHub account.CLASTIX sign in
2

Create your first cluster

Click Create your first cluster.Create first CLASTIX cluster
3

Configure cluster settings

Give the cluster a name and choose the Kubernetes version.CLASTIX cluster name
4

Select cluster components

Select the components CoreDNS, Konnectivity, and kube-proxy, then click Create:CLASTIX cluster components
5

Wait for cluster to be ready

Wait a few seconds until the status of your Kubernetes Control Plane appears “Ready.”CLASTIX cluster status

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Step 2: Add the bare metal worker nodes

1

Deploy servers

Go to your Latitude.sh console and deploy two or more servers with Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04.
2

Access your servers

In the server list, click the key icon on the right side of the server row, copy the login snippet, and paste it into your terminal to log in. For more details, see our docs.CLASTIX server credentials
3

Install dependencies

After logging in, run the following command to update the package list and install socat and conntrack:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y socat conntrack
Repeat this process for each server.
4

Join nodes to cluster

From the CLASTIX console, click on your cluster’s badge to open details, copy the Yaki join command provided, and paste it into your terminal to add the server as a worker node.CLASTIX join commandAfter your machines join the Kubernetes cluster, they will appear in the “List of nodes.”CLASTIX nodes list

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Step 3: Set up kubeconfig

1

Download kubeconfig

From the CLASTIX console, copy the kubeconfig and save it in a file clastix-kubeconfig.yaml on your workstation.
2

Configure kubectl

Set the KUBECONFIG environment variable to point to the location of the kubeconfig file:
export KUBECONFIG=/path/to/clastix-kubeconfig.yaml

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Step 4: Install networking add-ons

Your worker nodes will appear “Not Ready” until networking is configured. Follow these steps to install a CNI plugin, such as Calico.
1

Add Calico CNI plugin

From the CLASTIX console, add a new add-on for Calico by filling in the necessary fields.CLASTIX CNI pluginThe new add-on is now listed:CLASTIX Calico
2

Wait for nodes to be ready

Wait a few moments until your nodes transition to “Ready”.CLASTIX nodes ready

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All set!

Your Kubernetes cluster is now up and running with bare metal nodes, ready for scaling. To optimize traffic management across your nodes, check out our guide on Kubernetes load balancing.