---
title: Charmhub | Deploy MAAS Region Controller using Charmhub - The Open Operator
  Collection
description: Deploy the latest version of MAAS Region Controller on any cloud.
url: https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas
---

# MAAS Region Controller

[MAAS Maintainers](https://charmhub.io/publisher/maas-maintainers "View all packages from MAAS Maintainers")

* [MAAS Maintainers](https://charmhub.io/publisher/maas-maintainers "View all packages from MAAS Maintainers")

Platform:

26.04

24.04

22.04

edge 0af4e194

```
juju deploy maas-region --channel edge
```

[Learn to deploy on juju >](https://juju.is/docs/juju/manage-applications)

---

#### Relevant links

* [Homepage](https://canonical.com/maas)

---

#### Contacts

* [Submit a bug](https://github.com/canonical/maas-charms/issues)

---

Share your thoughts on this charm with the community on discourse.

[Join the discussion](https://discourse.charmhub.io/)

Here’s how to set up the MAAS Operator Charm:

* Set up the environment
* Install the base packages
* Set up LXD
* Bootstrap the Juju controller
* Install PostgreSQL
* Install HAProxy
* Install MAAS

These steps are detailed below.

[!NOTE]
As of MAAS-Region latest/edge rev 212, logic for interacting with the MAAS Agent charm has been removed, and MAAS-Agent end-of-life. To continue using the MAAS-Agent charm, pin MAAS-Region latest/edge to 211.
The reccomended method, however, to maintain rack functionality is to follow the steps below and configure MAAS-Region rev 212 and upwards with `enable_rack_mode=true`.

## [Set up the environment](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-set-up-the-environment)

You need to create some some environment variables to support this charm. Specifically, you need your LaunchPad ID and the specific location of the MAAS region and agent charms. Here’s how:

```
# LaunchPad ID
export LP_ID="my-lp-id"
export MAAS_REGION_CHARM=./maas-region-charm/maas-region_ubuntu-22.04-amd64.charm
```

## [Install the base packages](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-install-the-base-packages)

Next, you need to install Juju, LXD, and Charmcraft, which form the foundation for this charm:

```
sudo snap install juju
sudo snap install lxd
sudo snap install charmcraft --classic
```

Juju needs to be invoked once to initialize its local state, including an SSH key that will be needed later.

```
# The actual command doesn't matter, just run Juju once
juju whoami
```

## [Set up LXD](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-set-up-lxd)

Next, you need to set up LXD, since it’s part of this Charm configuration. Specifically, you’ll need networks, projects, profiles, and virtual machines before moving on to the next step.

### [Create networks](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-create-networks)

First, you’ll need managed network to act as the control plane:

```
lxc network create jujulab
lxc network edit jujulab <<EOF
name: jujulab
description: "Juju lab network"
type: bridge
config:
  dns.domain: juju-lab
  ipv4.address: 10.70.0.1/24
  ipv4.dhcp: "true"
  ipv4.dhcp.ranges: 10.70.0.65-10.70.0.126
  ipv4.nat: "true"
  ipv6.address: none
EOF
```

Next, you must integrate this network with the host’s DNS service and make this integration persistent:

```
resolvectl dns jujulab 10.70.0.1
resolvectl domain jujulab '~juju-lab'
cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/lxd-dns-net-juju.service
[Unit]
Description=LXD per-link DNS configuration for jujulab
BindsTo=sys-subsystem-net-devices-jujulab.device
After=sys-subsystem-net-devices-jujulab.device

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/resolvectl dns jujulab 10.70.0.1
ExecStart=/usr/bin/resolvectl domain jujulab '~juju-lab'
ExecStopPost=/usr/bin/resolvectl revert jujulab
RemainAfterExit=yes

[Install]
WantedBy=sys-subsystem-net-devices-jujulab.device
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now lxd-dns-net-juju
```

You’ll also need an unmanaged network for Devices-Under-Test (DUT):

```
lxc network create jujudata
lxc network edit jujudata <<EOF
name: jujudata
description: "Juju test network"
type: bridge
config:
  dns.domain: jujudata
  ipv4.address: 10.70.1.1/24
  ipv4.dhcp: "false"
  ipv4.nat: "false"
  ipv6.address: none
EOF
```

Now that the networks are set up, we’ll need a project and some profiles.

### [Create project and profiles](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-create-project-and-profiles)

First, create a project to isolate the charm:

```
lxc project create juju-lab -c features.images=false
lxc project switch juju-lab
```

Next, create a profile for Juju controllers, which will use two network interface cards (NICs):

```
lxc profile create juju-host
lxc profile edit juju-host <<EOF
name: juju-host
description: Juju host
config:
    limits.cpu: 2
    limits.memory: 4GB
    user.user-data: |
        #cloud-config
        ssh_authorized_keys:
        - $(cat ${HOME}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | cut -d' ' -f1-2)
        - $(cat ${HOME}/.local/share/juju/ssh/juju_id_rsa.pub | cut -d' ' -f1-2)
devices:
    eth0:
        type: nic
        name: eth0
        network: jujulab
    eth1:
        type: nic
        name: eth1
        network: jujudata
    root:
        path: /
        pool: default
        type: disk
EOF
```

Then, create a profile for devices under test (just one NIC this time):

```
lxc profile create juju-dut
lxc profile edit juju-dut <<EOF
name: juju-dut
description: Juju lab DUT
devices:
    eth0:
        type: nic
        name: eth0
        network: jujudata
    root:
        path: /
        pool: default
        type: disk
EOF
```

### [Create VMs](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-create-vms)

You’ll need some VMs to make this environment work, so create a few:

```
for h in $(seq 1 3); do \
    lxc launch ubuntu:jammy "m$h" --vm -p juju-host;\
done;\
sleep 5;\
for h in $(seq 1 3); do \
    lxc exec "m$h" -- cloud-init status --wait;\
    ssh-keyscan -H "m$h.juju-lab" >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts;\
done
```

## [Bootstrap Juju controller](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-bootstrap-juju-controller)

Next, you’ll need to bootstrap the Juju controller:

```
cat >| maas-bootstrap.yaml <<EOF
clouds:
    maas-bootstrap:
        type: manual
        endpoint: ubuntu@m1.juju-lab
        regions:
            default: {}
EOF

juju add-cloud maas-bootstrap ./maas-bootstrap.yaml
juju bootstrap maas-bootstrap maas-controller
juju add-machine -m controller ssh:ubuntu@m2.juju-lab
juju add-machine -m controller ssh:ubuntu@m3.juju-lab
juju enable-ha -n 3 --to 1,2
juju controllers --refresh
```

Now we’re ready to install the packages that add MAAS to the charm, using the charm itself to install and configure them.

## [Install Postgres DB](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-install-postgres-db)

Deploy a MAAS-usable PostgreSQL DB using the charm itself:

```
juju deploy -m controller postgresql --channel 14/stable --series jammy --to 0
juju add-unit -m controller postgresql -n 2 --to 1,2
```

## [Install HAProxy](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-install-haproxy)

You can also deploy HAProxy using the charm:

```
juju deploy -m controller haproxy --series jammy --to 0 --channel=2.8/edge
juju add-unit -m controller haproxy -n 2 --to 1,2
```

## [Install MAAS](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-install-maas)

Finally, you can deploy MAAS using the charm, in several steps.

1. Deploy a region-controller in Region+Rack mode using the charm

```
    juju deploy -m controller ${MAAS_REGION_CHARM} --to 0
    juju config maas-region enable_rack_mode=true
    juju status --watch 10s  # wait for it to initialize
```

1. Make sure that Juju can consume offers from the region:

```
    juju integrate -m controller maas-region postgresql
    juju integrate -m controller maas-region:ingress-tcp haproxy:haproxy-route-tcp
    juju status --watch 10s  # wait for it to settle
```

1. (Optionally) Enable TLS:

```
    juju integrate -m controller maas-region:ingress-tcp-tls haproxy:haproxy-route-tcp
    juju config -m controller maas-region ssl-cert-content $(cat certificate.cert)
    juju config -m controller maas-region ssl-key-content $(cat certificate.key)
    juju config -m controller maas-region ssl-cacert-content $(cat ca.cert) # Needed if the certificate is self-signed
    juju status --watch 10s  # wait for it to settle
```

1. Create an Admin user:

```
    juju run -m controller maas-region/leader create-admin username=maas password=maas email=maas@example.com ssh-import=lp:${LP_ID}
```

1. Get the MAAS URL, which you’ll need to access your MAAS instance:

```
    juju run -m controller maas-region/leader get-api-endpoint
```

## [Conclusion](https://charmhub.io/maas-region/docs/setting-up-and-configuring-charmed-maas#p-30395-conclusion)

That’s it! Your MAAS is up and running, using the MAAS Operator Charm.

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