In the world of container orchestration, Kubernetes reigns supreme. But as Spiderman once said, “With great power comes great responsibility”…and observability. Clear and accessible observation- that’s what Prometheus and Grafana bring to the table. Ready to decipher the maze of Kubernetes observability? Buckle up.

Why Observability?

The first question to ask is why observability matters. In essence, observability allows developers to monitor systems, track bugs, and oversee performance within Kubernetes. It’s like a magic crystal ball for your containerized applications.

Introducing Prometheus and Grafana

Prometheus and Grafana are tools that make achieving Kubernetes observability as easy as pie—unless you don’t like baking pies, in which case, consider it easier.

Prometheus

Invented by Greek mythology and borrowed by Kubernetes (just kidding!), Prometheus is an open-source monitoring system and time series database. With its powerful querying capabilities, Prometheus is the go-to for tracking metrics within Kubernetes systems.

Grafana

Grafana is the BFF that Prometheus didn’t know it needed until it did. Open-source, beautiful dashboard? Check. Visualization capabilities for every known use case? Double check.

Deploying Prometheus and Grafana on Kubernetes

You’ll need a Kubernetes cluster in place before getting started. You didn’t forget that little detail, right? Good. Next up, installing Prometheus.

kubectl create -f ./prometheus/

This command creates the Prometheus namespace and sets up the Prometheus server and configuration.

For Grafana, turn to Helm, the package manager for Kubernetes. Install it like you mean it.

helm install stable/grafana --name grafana --namespace grafana --set persistence.storageClassName="gp2",adminPassword="grafana" --set datasource."datasources\.yaml".apiVersion=1 --set datasource."datasources\.yaml".datasources[0].access="proxy" --set datasource."datasources\.yaml".datasources[0].isDefault=true --set service.type=LoadBalancer

That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now Grafana is ready and waiting in your Kubernetes environment.

Constructing Dashboards with Grafana

Ever wanted to play architect? Now’s your chance. Constructing a Grafana dashboard involves adding panels, choosing visualization types, and deciding on query parameters. Remember, ‘with great power comes great responsibility’…and some complex commands.

Adapting with Alerts

Aside from making Kubernetes observability approachable, Prometheus and Grafana offer alert management. Alerts show when a certain threshold has been breached. It’s like a security guard that never goes on a break. Seriously, these guys have more uptime than a caffeinated sysadmin.

Set up an alert like so:

groups:
- name: instance_down_alerts
rules:
- alert: instance_down
expr: up == 0
for: 5m
labels:
severity: high

That’s it: our walkthrough on Kubernetes observability using Prometheus and Grafana ends here. As we have seen, together, they form a formidable pair in the quest for containerized clarity. Goodbye, blindfold.

Remember: ‘With great Kubernetes comes great observability’. Now let’s start observing!

Stumped by this guide? Don’t despair! Just follow the links provided to get yourself unstuck. Also feel free to ask Prometheus or Grafana—they can’t actually answer, but we’re sure it’ll make you feel better.

Introduction to Kubernetes EKS

Before diving into the specifics of Kubernetes Ingress with AWS ALB Ingress Controller, let’s familiarize ourselves with what Kubernetes EKS is. Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) is a fully managed service that enables you to operate Kubernetes on AWS without needing to stand up or maintain your own Kubernetes control plane. Certainly, a handy tool in your application’s arsenal, wouldn’t you say?

Kubernetes Ingress: A Simplified Definition

In essence, Kubernetes Ingress is an API object that manages external access to the services in a cluster, typically HTTP. Ingress can handle load balancing, SSL termination, and name-based virtual hosting. It’s kind of like a bouncer at a club, deciding who gets in, who gets VIP access and – crucially – who can skip the line.

The AWS ALB Ingress Controller: What Is It For?

Like a tour guide in a jungle, the AWS ALB Ingress Controller helps navigate the world of Kubernetes Ingress on AWS. Officially known as the AWS Load Balancer Controller, this tool is simply an implementation of a Kubernetes Ingress controller for AWS ALB and NLB.

Getting Hands-on with Kubernetes Ingress

Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and delve into the ‘how-to’ of Kubernetes Ingress with AWS ALB Ingress Controller.

If you’re using Linux, use these commands to add the EKS repository and install the AWS IAM Authenticator:

curl -O https://amazon-eks.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1.21.2/2021-07-05/bin/linux/amd64/aws-iam-authenticator
chmod +x ./aws-iam-authenticator
mkdir -p $HOME/bin && cp ./aws-iam-authenticator $HOME/bin/aws-iam-authenticator && export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin' >> ~/.bashrc
aws eks update-kubeconfig --region region-code --name cluster-name

Just remember, be cautious about what code snippets you’re copy/pasting from the internet. You don’t want to end up like the developer who pasted a ‘sudo rm -rf /’ command and wiped his entire system clean. You’ve been warned!

Deploy AWS ALB Ingress Controller

You should now be all set to install the AWS ALB Ingress Controller. Let’s break it down into simple steps.

# Step 1: Download the IAM policy
curl -o iam_policy.json https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/aws-alb-ingress-controller/v1.1.8/docs/examples/iam-policy.json

# Step 2: Create the IAM policy
aws iam create-policy --policy-name ALBIngressControllerIAMPolicy --policy-document file://iam_policy.json

# Step 3: Apply the RBAC Roles and Bindings
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/aws-alb-ingress-controller/v1.1.8/docs/examples/rbac-role.yaml

To Sum It Up

Kubernetes EKS offers a plethora of benefits when it comes to container management. Incorporating the AWS ALB Ingress Controller simplifies navigating the notoriously complex waters of Kubernetes Ingress. But remember, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Keep exploring and find the best fit for your specific needs.

A good developer is always inquisitive and open to new tools –much like a kid in a candy store. Although you might not get a sugar rush from learning about Kubernetes EKS, who’s to say the thrill of overcoming a technical hurdle isn’t just as sweet?