Setup Krossboard using the Kubernetes Operator

Krossboard is a multi-cluster and cross-distribution Kubernetes usage analytics and accounting software.

Learn more about Krossboard Features.

Krossboard Operator provides custom resource definitions (CRD) along with an operator to deploy and manage instances of Krossboard as Kubernetes pods.

The Krossboard CRD defines a Krossboard instance as a Kind, as well as parameters to bootstrap that instance: krossboard-api, krossboard-ui, krossboard-consolidator, krossboard-kubeconfig-handler, kube-opex-analytics instances.

Each instance of Krossboard enables to track the usage of a set of Kubernetes clusters listed in a KUBECONFIG secret:

  • Secret Name: krossboard-secrets
  • Secret Key: kubeconfig.

The next steps describe how to deploy the operator and a Krossboard instance.

Deploy Krossboard Kubernetes Operator

The following command deploy the latest version of Krossboard Operator.

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/2-alchemists/krossboard-kubernetes-operator/main/config/releases/latest/krossboard/krossboard-kubernetes-operator.yaml

The installation is achieved in a namespace named krossboard.

Deploy a Krossboard Instance

Create a Krossboard CRD

Once the operator deployed, a custom resource named Krossboard is created. This CRD is used to define each instance of Krossboard.

See krossboard.yaml for an example of Krossboard instance definition.

Each instance of Krossboard allows to track the usage of a set of Kubernetes clusters listed in a KUBECONFIG secret (Secret Name: krossboard-secrets, Secret Key: kubeconfig).

A different secret can be used (instead of krossboard-secrets). In this case, you must set the parameter krossboardSecretName of the Krossboard CRD with the name of the target secret.

Create a KUBECONFIG secret for target Kubernetes

Given a KUBECONFIG resource (/path/to/kubeconfig in the below command), you can create a secret for Krossboard Operator as follows.

kubectl -n krossboard \
    create secret --type=Opaque generic krossboard-secrets \
    --from-file=kubeconfig=/path/to/kubeconfig

Start the Krossboard Instance

The below command deploys an instance of Krossboard based on the latest version.

kubectl -n krossboard apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/2-alchemists/krossboard-kubernetes-operator/main/config/releases/latest/krossboard/krossboard-deployment.yaml

Once started, the instance enables access to two Kubernetes services:

  • krossboard-ui.krossboard.svc enabling access to Krossboard UI.
  • krossboard-api.krossboard.svc enabling access to Krossboard REST API.

Day2 Operations