What is Rancher?
An open-source platform from SUSE for creating, importing and managing Kubernetes clusters from one dashboard, with central authentication, role-based access, monitoring and an app catalog.
Is Rancher free to self-host?
Yes. Rancher is Apache 2.0 licensed. On AWS you pay for the instance and any Meetrix software fee shown on the listing. SUSE sells Rancher Prime separately, with 24x7 support.
Which clusters can Rancher manage?
RKE2 and K3s clusters it provisions, hosted Kubernetes services such as Amazon EKS, Azure AKS and Google GKE, and existing clusters you import.
How do I sign in the first time?
Open the DashboardUrl from the stack outputs and enter the AdminPassword you set when launching the stack, then confirm the server URL.
Does it set up SSL?
Yes, automatically when your domain is hosted on Route 53. If that fails, a script on the server generates the certificate manually.
Which instance size should I choose?
t3a.large is the recommended starting point. Size up if Rancher will manage many clusters or nodes.
How do I upgrade?
Back up your server data, remove the old stack and launch the new version from AWS Marketplace.
How does Rancher compare with Red Hat OpenShift?
Rancher is open source and manages many Kubernetes distributions, including EKS, AKS and GKE. OpenShift is a subscription platform with its own clusters, and its multi-cluster management is an add-on.