Creating Addons

Cluster addons can be created in two ways:

1. Marketplace wizard
2. Manually creating the repository

Before creating cluster addons, ensure that you have connected the addons Git repository.

Step 1: Connect Addons Repo

The addons repository contains the addons for the cluster. To connect an addons repository, follow these steps:

1. Go to your ArgoCD instance Settings and click on the Repositories tab.

   

2. Click the Connect Repo button. Enter the repository URL, username, and credentials (with write access), then click the Connect button.

   

3. Return to the Akuity Platform. Go to your ArgoCD instance and click on the Addons tab.

   

4. Click the Connect Addons Repo button.

   

5. In the Addons Repo section, click the Connect Addons Repo button, enter the repository URL, and click Connect.

   

Step 2: Create Addons

Once the addons repository is connected, you can create cluster addons using the marketplace wizard or manually.

Marketplace

The Cluster Addons Marketplace is a curated catalog of ready-to-deploy applications for Kubernetes clusters. With just a few clicks, users can deploy multiple addons to all their configured clusters with no complex setup required. From monitoring to security and developer tools, the marketplace streamlines deployments and boosts efficiency.

To create a cluster addon using the marketplace wizard, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that the addons repository is connected.

2. Click the Addons tab in your ArgoCD instance and then click Addon Marketplace -> Explore.

   

3. View the list of available addons. Choose the addon you wish to add, click the Add button, and then click Next.

   

4. In the Edit packages details section, review the marketplace dependencies that have been added:

   • Marketplace dependencies: Change the version of the added dependencies.
   • Custom dependencies: Add custom dependencies if required (provide Name, Version, and Repository URL).

   Click Next.

5. In the Choose repository and add metadata section, provide:

   • Repository: Choose the Git repository and branch where you want to add the addon.
   • Helm chart metadata: Enter the Name, Version, and Description.
   • Additional overrides: Add any overrides if needed (for example, cluster or environment overrides).

   Click Finish.

6. The addon is created in the selected repository.

   

Updating Marketplace Addons

To update marketplace addons and change the version of dependencies, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Addons tab in your ArgoCD instance and click Addon Marketplace -> Show Installed.

   

2. Locate the addon you wish to update and click the Update button next to it.

   

3. Change the version of the dependencies as needed and click Save to update the addon.

   

Reinstalling Marketplace Addons

If an addon is deleted from the Git repository, you can reinstall it to update the addon in the cluster. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Addons tab in your ArgoCD instance and click Addon Marketplace -> Show Installed.

   

2. Find the addon you wish to reinstall and click the Reinstall button.

   

The addon will be reinstalled in the cluster.

Manually Creating Addons

INFO

Cluster Addons supports two types of manifest generation tools: Helm charts and Kustomize overlays. Choose the option that best suits your deployment requirements.

To manually create cluster addons, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that the addons repository is connected.

2. Organize your repository with the following directory structure:

   <addons-repo>
   ├── addons
   │   ├── <helm-addon-name>
   │   │   ├── Chart.yaml
   │   │   ├── values.yaml
   │   ├── <kustomize-addon-name>
   │   │   ├── kustomization.yaml
   │   │   ├── <resource1>.yaml
   │   │   ├── <resource2>.yaml
   ├── clusters
   │   ├── <cluster-name>
   │   │   ├── <helm-addon-name>
   │   │   │   ├── values.yaml
   │   │   ├── <kustomize-addon-name>
   │   │   │   ├── kustomization.yaml
   ├── envs
   │   ├── <env-name>
   │   │   ├── <helm-addon-name>
   │   │   │   ├── values.yaml
   │   │   ├── <kustomize-addon-name>
   │   │   │   ├── kustomization.yaml
   • addons: Contains the addons that can be installed in the cluster.
   • clusters: Contains cluster-specific overrides for the addons.
   • envs: Contains environment-specific overrides for the addons.

3. Once the repository is configured with the required addons, they will be available in the Addons section of your ArgoCD instance.

In the next section, we will see how to install the addons in the cluster.