Deploy Sisense on EKS with Helm, Provisioner, and AWS Load Balancer (Self-Hosted AWS, Linux)

Introduction

This article outlines the steps to deploy Sisense on an Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) cluster, leveraging the Sisense Provisioner, Helm, and an AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) for external access.

Step-by-Step Guide: 

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• Sisense Version: Sisense L2021.1.1 or later.
• Amazon EKS: A running Amazon EKS service.
• AWS CLI: The AWS Command Line Interface tool is installed and configured to manage AWS services. Refer to the AWS Command Line Interface documentation.
• eksctl: The eksctl command-line utility for creating and managing Kubernetes clusters on Amazon EKS. Refer to the Getting started with Amazon EKS documentation.

Configuring the AWS Load Balancer Controller:

The AWS Load Balancer Controller manages AWS ALBs for a Kubernetes cluster. You'll attach the necessary IAM roles to your EKS node groups by running the attached script:

1. Upload the file  to your cluster and extract it:
   unzip aws-alb-iam-attach-new.zip
   
   
2. Grant execute permissions:
   chmod +x aws-alb-iam-attach-new.sh
   
   
3. Run the script:
   bash -x ./aws-alb-iam-attach-new.sh <EKS_NAME> <EKS_REGION> <NAMESPACE>

Replace the placeholders with your cluster details:
<EKS_NAME>: Your EKS Cluster name.
<EKS_REGION>: The AWS region where your EKS cluster is located.
<NAMESPACE>: (Optional) The target namespace for the ALB controller. If omitted, it defaults to the default namespace.

Preparation: Installing Helm and Downloading the Provisioner:

Install Helm 3 and download the Sisense Provisioner package on a machine with access to your EKS cluster (e.g., via a bastion host or one of the cluster's nodes).

1.  Install Helm 3:
   

   curl -fsSL -o get_helm.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/master/scripts/get-helm-3 && \
   chmod +x get_helm.sh && \
   DESIRED_VERSION=v3.5.1 ./get_helm.sh

   
   
2. Download the Sisense Provisioner package:
   

   wget https://data.sisense.com/linux/provisioner-<sisense-version>.tgz

   
   Replace <sisense-version> with the specific Sisense version.
   
3. Extract the Sisense package:
   tar zxf provisioner-<sisense-version>.tgz
   
   
4. Export the Helm chart's default configuration:
   helm inspect values provisioner-<SISENSE_VERSION>.tgz > values.yaml

This command creates a value.yaml file containing the default configuration.

Configuring the Sisense Provisioner:

Edit the generated values.yaml file to configure the Sisense Provisioner for your environment.

vi values.yaml

For comprehensive instructions on configuring the `values.yaml` file, refer to the Provisioner's chart configurable parameters documentation.

Configure ALB Controller parameters:

Append the following installer-values configuration snippet to the `values.yaml` file and configure the ensuing parameters within the alb_controller section.

installer-values:
   alb_controller:
      enabled: true
      certificate_arn: "<your-certificate-arn-code>"
      annotations:
          alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/target-type: instance
          alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/load-balancer-name: your-load-balancer-name

• enabled: Set to true to enable the ALB Controller.
• certificate_arn: Specify the Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of one or more certificates managed by AWS Certificate Manager (ACM).
• annotations: Optional annotations for Kubernetes Ingress and Service objects to customize ALB behavior. See Ingress annotations for more details.

How to get certificate_arn in AWS Console:

To obtain the certificate_arn for your ALB Controller configuration:

1. Locate the AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) in the AWS Console and click on it:
   
   
   

   [ALT text: "AWS Console Home screen showing Recently Visited services. Certificate Manager highlighted in red. Services include EC2, S3, IAM, and more.]

   
   
2. Choose the desired method to create the certificate: Import, request, or create a new certificate.
   
   
   
   

   [ALT Text: AWS Certificate Manager interface with options to request, import, and create SSL/TLS certificates. On-screen guidance is displayed in orange and blue buttons.]

   See AWS Certificate Manager documentation for detailed information.
   
   

3. Click on List Certificates and click on the new certificate ID to access the certificate details:
   
   
   [ALT Text: Screenshot of AWS Certificate Manager showing one certificate listed. The certificate ID is highlighted, with status "Issued" and type "Amazon issued."]
   
   
4. Copy the ARN code and paste it in the certificate_arn parameter inside your values.yaml file:
   
   
   

   [ALT Text: AWS Certificate Manager interface showing a certificate status as "Issued." Domain "infradeploytest.site" marked as "Success." Options to create Route 53 records or export to CSV are available.] 

5. Save the value.yaml file changes and proceed with the next steps.

Set applicationDnsName and cloud settings:

 Ensure the following configuration is set in your values.yaml file:

applicationDnsName: "your-domain.tld"
## Cloud features: LoadBalancer service, Cluster auto-scaler app.
cloud:
## LoadBalancer service for Sisense app
loadBalancer: false
loadBalancer_internal: false

EBS CSI Driver Configuration:

If you are using Kubernetes EKS v1.23 or higher with Amazon FSx or EFS, you'll need to configure additional management and security updates. Please refer to the Creating a Service Account for the EBS CSI Driver on EKS documentation for detailed instructions.

Add the ebs_csi parameter to the values.yaml file within the installer-values:

installer-values: 
    ebs_csi:
        enabled: true

Install Sisense using Provisioner:

Install or upgrade the Sisense Provisioner Helm Chart with your custom values.yaml file.

1. Install/Upgrade the Helm Chart:
   

   helm upgrade prov-sisense -f values.yaml ./provisioner-<sisense-version>.tgz --namespace=sisense --create-namespace

   (Note: --create-namespace will create the Sisense namespace if it doesn't exist.)

   
   
2. Observe the Provisioning Process:

Monitor the Sisense Provisioner's logs to track the installation process:

kubectl logs -f --namespace sisense -l app.kubernetes.io/name=provisioner

Once the installation is complete, some Sisense pods may remain in the Init state until the license is activated. To activate your Sisense license, navigate to the Sisense web application URL (without any extra paths like /app/account/login) in your browser and enter your license credentials.

Review AWS Load Balancer listener rules:

1. Locate your Load Balancer:
   Open the AWS Console and search for "Load Balancer" in the search bar.
   
   
   [ALT Text: Screenshot of AWS Management Console showing search results for "load balancers." Features listed: Lightsail, EC2, and VPC with a dark theme.] 
    
2. Click on Load Balancers, then click on the newly created load balancer. The load balancer's name should match the alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/load-balancer-name annotation you specified in your values.yaml.
   
   [ALT Text: A dashboard lists two load balancers, showing details like name, state, and availability zones. One load balancer named "alb-infradeploytest-2025-1" is active.] 
   
   
   
3. Click on the HTTPS:443 to access the listeners and rules:
   
   [ALT Text: The image shows a dashboard interface titled "Listeners and rules" with an HTTPS:443 port. It includes options for managing rules and listeners.]

Accessing Sisense UI via AWS Load Balancer DNS:

1. Locate your Load Balancer:
   
   
   [ALT Text: Screenshot of AWS console with a search for "load balancers." Results show options under Features, including Lightsail, EC2, and VPC features. UI is dark-themed.]
   
   
2. Click on Load Balancers, then click on the newly created load balancer. The load balancer's name should match the alb.ingress.kubernetes.io/load-balancer-name annotation you specified in your values.yaml.
   
   
   [ALT Text: Dashboard showing one active load balancer named "alb-infradeploytest-2025-1." It has an "Active" status and is distributed across three availability zones.]
   
   
3. Copy the DNS name from the load balancer details.
   
   [ALT Text: Dashboard showing load balancer details for "alb-infradeploytest-2025-1." It is an internet-facing application load balancer, status "Active," with an IPv4 address type.]
4. Paste the DNS name into your web browser.

You should now access either the Sisense activation page (if you haven't activated your license yet) or the Sisense login page (if already activated).

Associating a Domain with AWS Load Balancer:

Using AWS Route 53

If you are managing your DNS with AWS Route 53, refer to the Routing traffic to an ELB load balancer documentation.

Using a Different DNS Provider

If you are using a different DNS provider to manage your DNS, follow these instructions:

1. Copy the Load Balancer DNS name: Obtain the DNS name from your AWS Load Balancer details.
2. Add a new CNAME record: Open your DNS Manager and add a new CNAME record with the following details:
1. Name: @ (or your desired subdomain, e.g., sisense)
2. Type: CNAME
3. Value: Your Load Balancer's DNS name (e.g., your-load-balancer-dns-name.elb.region.amazonaws.com)
3. Cloudflare example:
1. Name: @
2. Type: CNAME
3. Value: your-load-balancer-dns-name.elb.region.amazonaws.com

Some DNS providers may not allow you to use @ with a CNAME record. Consult your DNS provider's documentation for specific instructions on adding CNAME records.

Additionally, make sure you have:

• www is redirecting to your domain.com›
• The Forward target group is set to the correct Target Group in the Listener rules of ALB.
  Example: 

See Listeners for your Application Load Balancer for detailed instructions.

Uninstalling Sisense

To uninstall Sisense while preserving user data (e.g., Elasticubes), run the following Helm upgrade command:

helm upgrade prov-sisense <CHART_URL or ./> \
--set uninstall.namespacedResources=true \
--set uninstall.clusterResources=false \
--set uninstall.removeUserData=false \
--namespace=sisense \
--reuse-values \
--force \
--install

Replace <CHART_URL or ./> with the path to your provisioner chart, e.g., ./provisioner-<sisense-version>.tgz.

Setting uninstall.removeUserData=false will ensure your data remains. Set to true if you wish to remove all user data.

Uninstalling the Provisioner Chart

To completely remove the Provisioner Helm Chart from your cluster:

helm uninstall prov-sisense -n sisense

Conclusion

You've successfully set up Sisense on Amazon EKS! This means you now have an analytics platform that's strong, grows with your needs, and is always available.

The main things to remember from this guide are to:

• Correctly set up the AWS Load Balancer Controller.
• Carefully adjust your Provisioner values.yaml file, especially for certificates and how your domain works.
• Use Helm to make your deployment process smooth.

Always back up your Sisense data regularly to keep it safe, and check our guides for any ongoing management or improvements. You're all set to get the most out of your cloud-based Sisense!

Disclaimer: This post outlines a potential custom workaround for a specific use case or provides instructions regarding a specific task. The solution may not work in all scenarios or Sisense versions, so we strongly recommend testing it in your environment before deployment. If you need further assistance with this, please let us know.