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Cluster Addons

Streamlined Multi-Cluster Application Management

Cluster Addons is a comprehensive deployment orchestration feature that enables operators to define, version-control, and propagate standardized application manifests across multiple Kubernetes clusters. This GitOps-native solution maintains deployment manifests in git as the single source of truth while providing advanced filtering capabilities for target cluster selection, streamlining the entire process of managing and bootstrapping clusters effortlessly.

This product makes it easier to manage your Kubernetes cluster add-ons with an easy-to-use interface, which saves time and effort when bootstrapping a new cluster and keeping existing cluster add-ons up to date.

Key Capabilities:

  • Centralized Addon Repository: Maintain a curated library of deployment templates for commonly used applications with version control and change history

  • Flexible Deployment Patterns: Target specific clusters using rich filtering expressions based on labels, names and other metadata

  • Customization Layers: Apply environment/cluster specific overrides while preserving the core application manifest definition

  • Addon Marketplace Integration: Discover and implement pre-configured solutions from the community or trusted vendors

  • GitOps Workflow: Leverage existing Git infrastructure for change tracking, approvals, and audit compliance

  • Declarative Configuration: Define both the addon content and its target scope through simple YAML definitions

  • Automated Provisioning: Seamlessly bootstrap new clusters with essential applications upon registration to the platform, ensuring immediate operational readiness.

  • Supports Multiple Manifest Generation Tools: Configure deployments using either Helm charts or Kustomize overlays, according to your preference.

Glossary​

  • Addon : A reusable application template that can be deployed to multiple clusters. Addons are defined in a Git repository and can be customized for different environments.
  • Addon Repository: A Git repository that contains the definitions and configurations for one or more addons. This repository serves as the source of truth for addon deployments.
  • Addon Application: The ArgoCD application that represents the addon in the cluster. It is created based on the addon definition and is responsible for managing the deployment of the addon.
  • Addon Marketplace: A curated collection of pre-configured addons that can be easily deployed to clusters. The marketplace provides a user-friendly interface for discovering and implementing addons.
  • Addon Configuration: The settings and parameters that define how an addon is deployed, including the target clusters, deployment options, and any customizations.
  • Addon Filters: Criteria used to determine which clusters an addon should be deployed to. Filters can be based on labels or names.
  • Manifest Source: The source of the deployment manifests for an addon, which can be updated to implement environment or cluster-specific changes.
  • Addon Dependencies: Other applications or components that an addon relies on for proper functionality. Dependencies can be specified in the addon configuration.
  • Overrides: Custom configurations applied to an addon deployment to modify its behavior or settings. Overrides can be used to tailor the addon for specific environments or clusters.
  • Cluster Customization: The process of applying specific configurations or patches to an addon deployment for a particular cluster. This allows for tailored deployments while maintaining a common base definition.