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IBM Bob self-hosted runs on a customer-managed Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) cluster. Administrators install and configure its backend with IBM’s release bundle and bobctl; developers connect Bob IDE or Bob Shell to the deployment’s API gateway, then work with repositories from their client workspace. IBM’s documented workflow covers cloning a Git repository or opening a local checkout—not a verified server-side GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket connector.
What an on-premises Bob deployment requires
This is a customer-managed deployment, not a Bob server that IBM hosts for you. Your organization supplies and operates the OpenShift cluster, controls its network and identity configuration, and plans for availability, storage, backups, and upgrades. IBM says Bob workloads can share a sufficiently resourced cluster with other workloads.
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Before planning production capacity, check the sizing and compatibility information for the specific Bob release and any add-ons you intend to use. The figures and prerequisites are release-sensitive; avoid treating an older installation bundle or a general-purpose cluster estimate as a supported production design.
Entitlement and administrative tools
IBM’s self-hosted prerequisites call for a valid Bob self-hosted entitlement, access to the IBM Bob GitHub repository that holds the release bundle, access to the IBM Entitled Container Registry for backend images, and an administrative workstation connected to the target cluster. The release bundle contains manifests, Helm charts, templates, and bobctl; it does not contain the backend images.
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The prerequisites page lists oc compatible with the cluster, with OCP 4.20 as its stated minimum, Helm 3.14 or later, Bash 3.2 or later, and OpenSSL 3.5 or the version provided by the operating system. Confirm the supported versions against the bundle and IBM’s current compatibility information before installation.
Architecture, storage, and backups
- Run Bob workloads on
amd64(x86_64) worker nodes. IBM permits mixed-architecture clusters only when Bob workloads are constrained to amd64 nodes; those constraints are not applied automatically. - IBM lists Managed NFS and OpenShift Data Foundation among supported storage options. It recommends fast block storage for PostgreSQL and OpenSearch data.
- Plan separate backup storage. Choose capacity and performance from the sizing guidance for your exact release, deployment, and add-ons rather than assuming one universal requirement.
Choose a deployment route
The key difference is how the cluster and administrative workstation obtain backend images. For disconnected installations, test the private registry references and confirm the required images are present before you start the install.
| Route | When it fits | Image handling | Inference and other choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected | The cluster can reach IBM Container Registry. | Images can be pulled during installation. | Use the connected-install instructions to select the supported inference, update, certificate, and telemetry settings for your entitled release. |
| Air-gapped, direct mirroring | The administrative workstation can access both IBM’s source registry and the private destination registry. | Mirror images directly from the source registry to the private registry. | IBM’s air-gapped instructions document on-premises inference services. Confirm the release-specific update, certificate, and telemetry behavior in the install guide. |
| Air-gapped, indirect mirroring | The online and offline environments are separated, so a workstation cannot access both registries. | Download images, transfer them into the disconnected environment, and upload them to its private registry. | IBM’s air-gapped instructions document on-premises inference services. Confirm the release-specific update, certificate, and telemetry behavior in the install guide. |
The installation guide distinguishes these routes in more detail, including how updates arrive and which certificate and telemetry options apply. Those details can vary by release and route, so use the guide shipped for the version you are deploying instead of assuming that a connected-cluster setting also applies offline.
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Install the backend on OpenShift
Use the release bundle for your entitlement and follow its current command syntax. At a high level, the administrator prepares configuration, reviews cluster-scoped resources, and then installs the Bob custom resource and backend components.
- Obtain and extract the release bundle. Keep the bundle and backend-image acquisition steps distinct: the bundle does not contain the images. Follow the connected or mirroring path selected above.
- Prepare the configuration. In the extracted release directory, create
config.yamlfromconfig-template.yamland set values for your environment. Prepare the model gateway configuration with the required inference and guardrail endpoints. If LDAP federation is needed, prepare the IDP configuration as well. - Choose a TLS approach. Decide whether to use a customer-managed trusted certificate or the default self-signed CA. If clients will need to trust a private or self-signed CA, plan how to distribute that CA to developer workstations.
- Log in to the intended cluster and generate resources. Run
./bobctl generate-cluster-resourcesfrom the release directory. Reviewwork/cluster-resources.yamlbefore applying it; these are cluster-scoped resources and permissions, and IBM calls for administrator review. - Apply the reviewed resources and install. Use the release bundle’s documented procedure to apply the cluster resources, then run
./bobctl install --registry-creds <username:password> --accept-license. Supply--model-config <file>if applying the model gateway configuration during installation. - Apply or update model configuration if needed. If you did not include the model configuration at install time, IBM says the installation can be updated with
bobctl update-model-config. Follow the exact flags and file format in the bundle for your release. - Wait for readiness. Do not onboard developers until the Bob custom resource reports
Ready.
Connect Bob IDE or Bob Shell to the deployment
Client access requires a reachable API endpoint, trust for the certificate presented at that endpoint, and a successful sign-in. The administrator should give each user the API route—typically https://api.<cluster-domain>—and the CA certificate when an internal or self-signed certificate is in use.
- Make the API route reachable. Confirm that the workstation can resolve and reach the supplied endpoint through the organization’s network controls.
- Establish certificate trust. Import the supplied CA into the workstation’s trust store as appropriate for its operating system. A client that does not trust the certificate may fail to connect even when the route is reachable.
- Set the gateway in the client. In Bob IDE, set
gatewayUrlin the settings file. In Bob Shell, configureBOB_GATEWAY_URL. Use the precise settings format supported by the installed client version. - Configure SSO when necessary. For Bob Shell, set
BOB_WEB_LOGIN_URLwhen SSO is used and the login URL cannot be derived automatically. - Sign in. Authenticate with the organization credentials assigned for the Bob deployment.
Open a repository in the Bob client workspace
Clone a repository in Bob IDE
IBM’s quickstart documents this client-side flow:
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- Make sure Git is installed on the developer workstation.
- In Bob IDE, choose Clone Repository from the file explorer.
- Enter the repository URL, select a local directory, and open the cloned folder as the workspace.
IBM’s quickstart uses https://github.com/IBM/bob-demo.git as an example. For a private repository, the developer also needs normal Git authorization and workstation access to the Git host. Cloning, fetching, and pushing in this workflow use the developer’s local Git environment and credentials.
Open an existing checkout
If the repository is already cloned, open its project folder in Bob IDE using the editor’s ordinary open-project workflow. This is also a client-workspace operation: the local checkout resides on the developer’s workstation, rather than being described as an automatic copy managed by the Bob server.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What repository integration is—and is not—established
It helps to separate three different meanings of “connect to Git”:
- Repository hosting: the Git service stores the repository, such as GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or another host.
- Git transport from the workstation: Bob IDE’s documented workflow clones or opens a local working copy, while Git uses the user’s ordinary access to the host.
- Server-side SCM integration: a Bob backend connection that links a provider account or automatically synchronizes repositories.
The reviewed IBM self-hosted deployment and quickstart materials establish the client-side clone/open workflow. They do not establish a distinct server-side connector, provider-specific app, or automatic synchronization for self-hosted Bob. Do not infer one from the fact that a repository is hosted by a supported Git provider; confirm the feature and its credential model with IBM before designing around it.
Pre-production checks
- Verify entitlement, supported OCP and client versions, architecture constraints, storage options, and sizing against the documentation for the exact release.
- Confirm the selected registry route works end to end, including availability of every required image in a private registry for disconnected deployments.
- Have the cluster administrator review generated cluster-scoped permissions before applying them.
- Test the model gateway and required inference and guardrail endpoints, plus the IDP configuration if LDAP federation is in scope.
- Test API reachability, CA trust, sign-in, and the intended repository’s normal Git access from an actual developer workstation.
- Define backup storage and a customer-owned plan for cluster operations, availability, and upgrades.
IBM announced Bob self-hosted deployment on October 1, 2026; IBM’s release blog says it became generally available on September 24, 2026. Those are the announcement and general-availability dates, respectively. Installation commands and compatibility requirements should still be taken from the release bundle and documentation applicable to your entitlement.
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