---
title: Understanding our lab environment
exercise: 1
date: '2024-12-18'
tags: ['openshift','containers','kubernetes','disconnected']
draft: false
authors: ['default']
summary: "Let's get familiar with our lab setup."
---

Welcome to the OpenShift 4 Disconnected Workshop! Here you'll learn about operating an OpenShift 4 cluster in a disconnected network, for our purposes today that will be a network without access to the internet (even through a proxy or firewall).

To level set, Red Hat [OpenShift](https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift) is a unified platform to build, modernize, and deploy applications at scale. OpenShift supports running in disconnected networks, though this does change the way the cluster operates because key ingredients like container images, operator bundles, and helm charts must be brought into the environment from the outside world via mirroring.

There are of course many different options for installing OpenShift in a restricted network; this workshop will primarily cover one opinionated approach. We'll do our best to point out where there's the potential for variability along the way.

**Let's get started!**

## 1.1 - Obtaining your environment

To get underway open your web browser and navigate to this etherpad link to reserve yourself a user https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/OpenShiftDisco_2023_12_20.  You can reserve a user by noting your name or initials next to a user that has not yet been claimed.

<Zoom>
|![workshop](/static/images/disconnected/etherpad.gif)                | 
|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------:|
| *Etherpad collaborative editor*                                               |
</Zoom>
