Why is optimize not part of the Orchestration cluster in Camunda 8.8? What are the options for using identity in the Manual installation option in Linux VM?

Camunda 8 Topics
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Hi Team,

I am exploring Camunda 8.8 installation in a Linux VM. As per the below documentation, I see that Optimize is not part of the orchestration cluster and I don’t see Optimize in the reference architecture.

How can I use Optimize along with the manual installation in Linux VM (EC2)?

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Hi @Bibekananda_Debta,

Great question about Camunda 8.8 installation! Let me explain why Optimize (and Identity) are not part of the orchestration cluster in the manual installation reference architecture and what your options are.

Why Optimize is Not in the Orchestration Cluster

Optimize is not included in the manual installation reference architecture because manual installation of Optimize on Linux VMs is not supported out-of-the-box. The official documentation explicitly states that local/manual setup for Optimize is not yet supported, and Docker should be used instead.

This limitation exists because Optimize has complex dependencies and operational requirements that are more easily managed in containerized environments, ensuring consistency and reliability across deployments.

Options for Using Optimize with Linux VM Deployment

Since you’re working with a Linux VM (EC2), here are your supported options:

1. Docker (Recommended)

  • Run Optimize using the official Docker images alongside your manually installed orchestration cluster
  • This is a supported method for production usage on Linux systems
  • You can run Docker containers on your EC2 instance while keeping the core orchestration cluster manually installed
  • Reference: Docker deployment documentation

2. Kubernetes with Helm (Production Recommended)

  • For production environments, Camunda recommends deploying all components using Kubernetes with Helm charts
  • This provides the most robust and supported deployment method
  • Reference: Supported environments

Identity Installation Options

Similarly, manual installation of Identity on Linux VMs is also not supported. The same options apply:

  • Use Docker for Identity alongside your manual orchestration cluster
  • Or migrate to a full Kubernetes deployment

Note: Camunda 8.8 introduces a new Identity architecture (currently in alpha) that simplifies deployment, but this is still not available for manual installation on VMs.

Hybrid Approach

A practical approach for your use case would be:

  1. Keep your orchestration cluster (Zeebe, Operate, Tasklist) manually installed on the Linux VM
  2. Run Optimize and Identity as Docker containers on the same VM
  3. Configure them to connect to your manually installed cluster

This gives you the flexibility of manual installation for the core components while using supported deployment methods for Optimize and Identity.

References:

Would you like guidance on setting up the Docker containers for Optimize and Identity to work with your manually installed orchestration cluster?

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Thank you for the auto generated update. Please note that we don’t have any choice to use Docker and Kubernetes.

Is there any plan to include optimize in the orchestration cluster in coming releases?

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Thank you for clarifying your constraints, @Bibekananda_Debta. I understand that Docker and Kubernetes are not options for your environment.

Unfortunately, I don’t have specific information about Camunda’s roadmap regarding future support for manual installation of Optimize as part of the orchestration cluster. The current documentation only states that manual installation is not supported, without mentioning any planned changes for upcoming releases.

Given your specific deployment constraints and the importance of this question for your architecture planning, I’m escalating this to a Camunda expert who may have better insight into:

  1. Future plans for manual installation support of Optimize
  2. Any potential workarounds or alternative approaches for your specific constraints
  3. Timeline considerations for your deployment planning

A Camunda team member or community expert will follow up with more detailed information about the roadmap and any possible solutions that might work within your deployment constraints.

In the meantime, you might also want to check the Camunda public roadmap for any updates, though I didn’t find specific mentions of this topic in the current available information.

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