Run Batch Workflows on ACK with Argo Workflows - Container Service for Kubernetes

Argo Workflows is a Kubernetes-native workflow engine that orchestrates parallel tasks defined in YAML or Python. It is well suited for CI/CD pipelines, data processing, and machine learning workloads. Install it as an ACK add-on to enable batch task orchestration in your cluster, then access it through the Alibaba Cloud Argo CLI or the Argo console.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A running ACK cluster with kubectl configured to access it
Sufficient permissions to install add-ons and edit Kubernetes Services

Step 1: Install the Argo Workflows component

Log on to the ACK console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Clusters.
On the Clusters page, click the name of your cluster. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Operations > Add-ons.
On the Add-ons page, find Argo Workflows and install it as prompted.

Verify the installation: In the left-side navigation pane, choose Applications > Helm. The installation is complete when the Status column for ack-workflow shows Deployed.

Step 2: Access Argo Workflows

ACK provides two ways to create and manage workflows: the Alibaba Cloud Argo CLI and the Argo console.

Method 1: Install the Alibaba Cloud Argo CLI

The Alibaba Cloud Argo CLI extends the open-source Argo CLI with enhanced metrics and logging. It lets you monitor CPU and memory consumption for workflows, track operating costs, and query logs from Pods that have already been deleted.

Download the CLI binary for your operating system: To download the Linux binary from the command line, run:

OS	Download link
Linux	argo-cli-aliyun-linux
macOS (Darwin)	argo-cli-aliyun-darwin

wget https://ack-one.oss-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com/cli/v3.4.12/argo-cli-aliyun-linux

Grant the binary executable permissions:
```
chmod +x argo-cli-aliyun-linux
```
Move it to a directory in your PATH, such as /usr/local/bin/:
```
mv argo-cli-aliyun-linux /usr/local/bin/argo
```

Method 2: Access the Argo console

Get an access token

The Argo console requires a bearer token. Generate a temporary token (valid for 1 hour) from the ack-argo-server Service account in the argo namespace:

kubectl create token ack-argo-server -n argo

Expected output:

elxxxxxxxxxx

Use this token to build your login credential in the format Bearer <token>. For example:

Bearer elxxxxxxxxxx

Open the Argo console

By default, the Argo Server is accessible only within the cluster. To access it over the Internet, expose it through a LoadBalancer Service first.

(Optional) Expose the Argo Server to the Internet.
1. Run the following command to edit the Argo Server Service and set the value of type to LoadBalancer:
```
kubectl edit service argo-server -n argo
```
2. To restrict access to the LoadBalancer, see Work with the access control feature of SLB.
Get the public IP address assigned to the Argo Server Service:
```
kubectl get service argo-server -n argo
```
The public IP is the value in the EXTERNAL-IP field.
Open a browser and navigate to:
```
https://${IP}:2746
```
The login page appears:
Enter your bearer token in the text box using the format Bearer <token>, then log in.
After logging in, set the namespace to argo to view workflow status.

What's next

Create your first workflow using the CLI or console: Create a workflow.