Runtime Model

The backend is not a thin form submitter. It owns local workflow state, generated artifacts, status files, and the privileged host-side execution boundary.

Local Ownership

Path	Purpose
/var/lib/cockpit-microshift/	runtime root
/var/lib/cockpit-microshift/microshift-work/	generated work directories
/var/lib/cockpit-microshift/image-cache/	downloaded guest image cache
/usr/share/cockpit/cockpit-microshift/	installed Cockpit plugin files

The runtime root is project-owned state. It should not contain user-local notes, private kubeconfigs outside the deployment workflow, or hand-maintained configuration.

Backend Responsibilities

The backend handles:

• request validation and normalization
• target host SSH and sudo preflight checks
• optional RHSM registration and repository enablement
• MicroShift config.yaml rendering
• optional firewalld configuration
• CRI-O pull secret placement
• MicroShift RPM install and service start
• readiness checks with oc
• kubeconfig retrieval to the Cockpit host
• local libvirt guest provisioning for create-host
• destroy and clean rebuild for plugin-owned local guest deployments

Generated Artifacts

The review surface exposes files such as:

• config.yaml
• request summary JSON
• install plan
• cloud-init user data and network data for create-host
• virt-install plan for create-host
• kubeconfig access details after install

Credential data is redacted in backend responses and artifact previews.

Cleanup Boundary

Local create-host cleanup can remove the libvirt domain, guest disk, generated seed media, work directory, stale inventory entry, and local credential file for the deployment.

Existing-host cleanup is intentionally narrower. A remote RHEL host is not a disposable VM, so package removal and broad system cleanup require explicit ownership rules before they belong in the default flow.