openova/core

OpenOva Core

Bootstrap wizard and Lifecycle Manager for the OpenOva platform.

Status: Development | Updated: 2026-02-26

---

Overview

OpenOva Core is a single Go application with two deployment modes:

Mode	Location	Purpose	IaC Tool
Bootstrap	Outside cluster (SaaS or self-hosted)	Initial provisioning	OpenTofu
Manager	Inside customer's K8s cluster	Day-2 operations	Crossplane

flowchart TB
    subgraph Bootstrap["Bootstrap Mode (outside cluster)"]
        UI1[Web UI]
        TF[OpenTofu]
        SQLite[(SQLite)]
    end

    subgraph Manager["Manager Mode (inside cluster)"]
        UI2[Web UI]
        XP[Crossplane]
        CRD[(K8s CRDs)]
    end

    User -->|"1. Configure"| UI1
    UI1 -->|"2. Provision"| TF
    TF -->|"3. Creates"| K8s[K8s Cluster]
    TF -->|"4. Deploys"| Manager
    UI1 -->|"5. Returns URL"| UI2
    UI2 -->|"6. Completes setup"| XP
    XP -->|"7. Installs"| Components[Platform Components]

---

Architecture

Directory Structure

core/
├── apps/                           # Web applications
│   ├── bootstrap/                  # Runs outside cluster
│   │   ├── main.go                 # Entry point
│   │   ├── handlers/               # HTTP handlers
│   │   │   ├── wizard.go           # Wizard flow
│   │   │   ├── provision.go        # OpenTofu execution
│   │   │   └── health.go           # Health checks
│   │   ├── opentofu/              # Embedded TF modules
│   │   │   ├── hetzner/
│   │   │   ├── huawei/
│   │   │   └── oci/
│   │   └── Dockerfile
│   │
│   └── manager/                    # Runs inside cluster
│       ├── main.go                 # Entry point
│       ├── handlers/               # HTTP handlers
│       │   ├── dashboard.go        # Main dashboard
│       │   ├── components.go       # Component management
│       │   └── upgrades.go         # Upgrade orchestration
│       ├── controllers/            # K8s controllers
│       │   ├── platform_controller.go
│       │   └── component_controller.go
│       └── Dockerfile
│
├── internal/                       # Private application code
│   ├── domain/                     # Core business logic (zero deps)
│   │   ├── platform.go             # Platform entity
│   │   ├── component.go            # Component entity
│   │   ├── region.go               # Region entity
│   │   └── events.go               # Domain events
│   │
│   ├── application/                # Use cases / orchestration
│   │   ├── bootstrap_service.go    # Bootstrap orchestration
│   │   ├── lifecycle_service.go    # Lifecycle operations
│   │   └── upgrade_service.go      # Upgrade coordination
│   │
│   ├── adapters/                   # Infrastructure adapters
│   │   ├── kubernetes/             # K8s client adapter
│   │   ├── opentofu/              # OpenTofu executor
│   │   ├── crossplane/             # Crossplane adapter
│   │   └── git/                    # Git operations (Gitea)
│   │
│   └── events/                     # In-memory event bus
│       ├── bus.go                  # Go channels event bus
│       └── handlers/               # Event handlers
│
├── pkg/                            # Public API types
│   └── apis/
│       └── v1alpha1/
│           ├── platform_types.go   # Platform CRD
│           └── component_types.go  # Component CRD
│
├── ui/                             # Shared React frontend
│   ├── package.json
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── App.tsx
│   │   ├── components/             # Shared UI components
│   │   │   ├── Sidebar.tsx
│   │   │   ├── StatusBadge.tsx
│   │   │   └── ComponentCard.tsx
│   │   └── pages/
│   │       ├── bootstrap/          # Bootstrap wizard pages
│   │       │   ├── Organization.tsx
│   │       │   ├── Credentials.tsx
│   │       │   ├── CloudProvider.tsx
│   │       │   ├── Regions.tsx
│   │       │   ├── Components.tsx
│   │       │   └── Review.tsx
│   │       └── manager/            # Lifecycle manager pages
│   │           ├── Dashboard.tsx
│   │           ├── Components.tsx
│   │           ├── Upgrades.tsx
│   │           └── Settings.tsx
│   └── public/
│
└── deploy/                         # K8s manifests (manager only)
    ├── base/
    │   ├── kustomization.yaml
    │   ├── deployment.yaml
    │   ├── service.yaml
    │   └── rbac.yaml
    └── overlays/
        ├── dev/
        └── prod/

---

Zero External Dependencies

OpenOva Core is designed to have no dependencies on platform components (no CNPG, Valkey, Strimzi for itself).

Bootstrap Mode

Need	Solution
Database	SQLite (embedded, temporary)
Event Bus	Go channels (in-memory)
Caching	Go sync.Map
Session	JWT + cookie (stateless)
OpenTofu State	S3 backend (customer's archival S3)

Manager Mode

Need	Solution
State	Kubernetes CRDs (K8s is the database)
Event Bus	Go channels + K8s watch events
Caching	informer cache (client-go)
Reconciliation	controller-runtime
Cross-Cluster	Kubernetes API (multi-cluster contexts)

---

Design Patterns

Hexagonal Architecture

                    +-------------------+
   HTTP Handlers -> |                   | -> Kubernetes
   K8s Controllers->|   Domain Logic    | -> OpenTofu
   Event Bus -----> |   (Pure Go)       | -> Crossplane
                    +-------------------+
                          |
                    No external deps

The domain layer contains pure business logic with no infrastructure dependencies. All I/O is handled through adapters.

Event-Driven Architecture

// Domain emits events
type ComponentInstallRequested struct {
    ComponentID string
    Version     string
}

// Event bus routes to handlers
bus.Subscribe(ComponentInstallRequested{}, func(e Event) {
    // Handler orchestrates installation via Crossplane
    crossplaneAdapter.CreateComposition(e.ComponentID, e.Version)
})

Kubernetes-Native (Manager Mode)

// Platform CRD represents desired state
type Platform struct {
    metav1.TypeMeta   `json:",inline"`
    metav1.ObjectMeta `json:"metadata,omitempty"`
    Spec   PlatformSpec   `json:"spec"`
    Status PlatformStatus `json:"status"`
}

type PlatformSpec struct {
    Components []ComponentRef `json:"components"`
    Regions    []RegionSpec   `json:"regions"`
}

// Controller reconciles desired vs actual
func (r *PlatformReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (ctrl.Result, error) {
    var platform Platform
    if err := r.Get(ctx, req.NamespacedName, &platform); err != nil {
        return ctrl.Result{}, client.IgnoreNotFound(err)
    }

    // Reconcile each component
    for _, comp := range platform.Spec.Components {
        if err := r.reconcileComponent(ctx, &platform, comp); err != nil {
            return ctrl.Result{}, err
        }
    }

    return ctrl.Result{}, nil
}

---

User Journeys

Journey 1: Initial Bootstrap

1. User accesses Bootstrap UI (SaaS at bootstrap.openova.io or self-hosted)

2. Wizard collects configuration:
   - Organization name, domain
   - Cloud provider credentials
   - Region selection (1 or 2)
   - Component selection (a la carte)

3. Bootstrap provisions via OpenTofu:
   - K8s clusters in selected regions
   - WireGuard mesh for cross-region
   - Gitea with bidirectional mirroring
   - Flux for GitOps
   - Core platform components

4. Bootstrap deploys Lifecycle Manager into cluster

5. Bootstrap returns Lifecycle Manager URL
   - User bookmarks this for day-2 operations
   - Bootstrap wizard can now be closed/deleted

6. Lifecycle Manager UI shows installation progress
   - Remaining components installing via Crossplane
   - Real-time status updates

7. Lifecycle Manager provides service URLs:
   - Catalyst IDP (developer portal)
   - Grafana (observability)
   - Gitea (git server)
   - All other installed services

Journey 2: Day-2 Component Installation

1. Platform operator accesses Lifecycle Manager UI

2. Navigates to Components page
   - Toggle: "Show installed only" (default: on)
   - Turns off toggle to see available components

3. Clicks [+ Install] on desired component (e.g., FerretDB)

4. If component has dependencies:
   - System shows required dependencies
   - Auto-selects CNPG (PostgreSQL backend)
   - User confirms

5. Lifecycle Manager creates Crossplane Composition
   - Component installs via GitOps flow
   - Progress shown in real-time

6. Component appears in installed list

Journey 3: Platform Upgrade

1. Lifecycle Manager checks for updates (scheduled or manual)

2. Dashboard shows: "2 upgrades available"

3. Operator clicks to view upgrades:
   - Cilium v1.16.2 → v1.16.3
   - Grafana v11.3 → v11.4

4. Operator reviews changelog for each

5. Operator clicks [Upgrade Now] or [Schedule]

6. Lifecycle Manager:
   - Updates Crossplane Composition version
   - Monitors rollout progress
   - Reports success/failure

7. If failure: automatic rollback + alert

---

Custom Resource Definitions

Platform CRD

apiVersion: openova.io/v1alpha1
kind: Platform
metadata:
  name: acme-corp
  namespace: openova-system
spec:
  organization:
    name: acme-corp
    domain: acme.io
  regions:
    - cluster: hz-fsn-rtz-prod
      location: fsn
    - cluster: hz-hel-rtz-prod
      location: hel
  components:
    - name: cilium
      version: v1.16.3
      enabled: true
    - name: grafana
      version: v11.4.0
      enabled: true
    - name: cnpg
      version: v1.24.0
      enabled: true
status:
  phase: Running
  components:
    - name: cilium
      status: Healthy
      version: v1.16.3
    - name: grafana
      status: Healthy
      version: v11.4.0
    - name: cnpg
      status: Healthy
      version: v1.24.0
  lastReconciled: "2026-02-08T10:30:00Z"

Component CRD

apiVersion: openova.io/v1alpha1
kind: Component
metadata:
  name: cnpg
  namespace: openova-system
spec:
  chart: cnpg
  version: v1.24.0
  category: data
  dependencies:
    - external-secrets
  values:
    replication:
      enabled: true
      mode: async
status:
  phase: Running
  health: Healthy
  endpoints:
    - name: primary
      url: cnpg-primary.data.svc
  lastReconciled: "2026-02-08T10:30:00Z"

---

Lifecycle Manager UI

Dashboard

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OpenOva Lifecycle Manager                    [Cluster: prod]│
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  Platform Health: ██████████ 100%                          │
│                                                             │
│  ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐           │
│  │ Components  │ │ Upgrades    │ │ Alerts      │           │
│  │     24      │ │   2 avail   │ │     0       │           │
│  └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘           │
│                                                             │
│  Quick Links:                                               │
│  [Catalyst IDP] [Grafana] [Gitea] [OpenBao] [Harbor]          │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Components View

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Components                    [x] Show installed only       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  MANDATORY (Core Platform)                                  │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ ✓ Cilium       v1.16.2  ● Healthy                   │  │
│  │ ✓ Flux         v2.4.0   ● Healthy                   │  │
│  │ ✓ Grafana      v11.3.0  ● Healthy   [Upgrade: 11.4] │  │
│  │ ✓ Coraza       v0.7.0   ● Healthy                   │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                             │
│  A LA CARTE (Optional)                                      │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ ✓ CNPG         v1.24.0  ● Healthy                   │  │
│  │ ✓ Valkey       v8.0.0   ● Healthy                   │  │
│  │ ○ FerretDB     ---      [+ Install]                  │  │
│  │ ○ Strimzi/Kafka ---      [+ Install]                  │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                             │
│  META-PLATFORMS                                             │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ ○ AI Hub       ---      [+ Install]                  │  │
│  │ ○ Open Banking ---      [+ Install]                  │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Dependency Resolution

When installing a product with dependencies:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Install: AI Hub                                     [x]     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  AI Hub requires the following components:                  │
│                                                             │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ ✓ KServe          (required)    [will be installed] │    │
│  │ ✓ Knative         (required)    [will be installed] │    │
│  │ ✓ vLLM            (required)    [will be installed] │    │
│  │ ✓ Milvus          (required)    [will be installed] │    │
│  │ ✓ CNPG            (required)    [already installed] │    │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                             │
│  Optional components:                                       │
│  [ ] Neo4j           (knowledge graph)                     │
│  [ ] NeMo Guardrails (AI safety)                           │
│                                                             │
│                              [Cancel]  [Install AI Hub]    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

Catalyst IDP Integration

Lifecycle Manager and Catalyst IDP serve different users within the same platform:

Aspect	Lifecycle Manager	Catalyst IDP
Users	Platform operators	Application developers
Purpose	Install/upgrade platform	Deploy applications, explore workflows
Manages	Platform components	Application services, templates
Examples	"Install FerretDB", "Upgrade Grafana"	"Deploy my-app", "Create database"

Key insight: Catalyst IDP is part of the OpenOva Catalyst product. The Lifecycle Manager manages all platform components including Catalyst itself.

---

Self-Hosted Bootstrap

For customers who cannot use SaaS bootstrap:

# Option 1: Container
docker run -p 8080:8080 ghcr.io/openova-io/bootstrap:latest

# Option 2: Binary
curl -sL https://bootstrap.openova.io/install | bash
openova-bootstrap serve --port 8080

# Access at http://localhost:8080
# Same wizard UI, runs entirely on your machine
# Credentials never leave your environment

---

Technology Stack

Layer	Technology
Language	Go 1.22+
Web Framework	Chi or Echo
K8s Client	client-go, controller-runtime
Frontend	React 18, TypeScript, Tailwind
Build	Ko (Go), Vite (UI)
Testing	Go testing, Testify, Ginkgo

---

Development

# Run bootstrap locally
cd apps/bootstrap
go run main.go

# Run manager locally (requires kubeconfig)
cd apps/manager
go run main.go --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config

# Run UI in dev mode
cd ui
npm install
npm run dev

# Build containers
ko build ./apps/bootstrap
ko build ./apps/manager

---

Part of OpenOva