This installation guide covers everything you need to deploy the OpenLIT Operator in Kubernetes environments, from cluster setup to advanced configuration options.

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Kubernetes Setup

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Prerequisites

Before installing the OpenLIT Operator, ensure your Kubernetes cluster meets these requirements:

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Cluster Requirements

RequirementMinimumRecommendedNotes
Kubernetes Version1.19+1.25+For webhook support
RBACEnabledEnabledRequired for operator permissions
Admin AccessEnabledEnabledTo create Custom Resources

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Resource Requirements

ComponentCPUMemoryNotes
OpenLIT Operator100m128MiPer replica
Instrumentation Init Container100m128MiPer instrumented pod

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Cluster Verification

Verify your cluster is ready for OpenLIT Operator installation: 
# Check cluster connection and version
kubectl cluster-info
kubectl version

# Verify cluster admin access
kubectl auth can-i create customresourcedefinitions
kubectl auth can-i create clusterroles

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Helm Installation

OpenLIT Operator requires Helm for installation. If you don’t have Helm installed: 👉 Install Helm following the official guide for your platform Verify Helm installation: 
helm version

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Operator Installation

Add Helm Repository 
helm repo add openlit https://openlit.github.io/helm/
helm repo update
Install OpenLIT Operator 
helm install openlit-operator openlit/openlit-operator

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Upgrade and Maintenance

Keep your OpenLIT Operator up-to-date to get the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches.

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Upgrading the Operator

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Check for Available Updates

Before upgrading, check what versions are available: 
# Update Helm repository
helm repo update

# Check available versions
helm search repo openlit/openlit-operator --versions

# Check current installed version
helm list -n openlit

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Upgrade to Latest Version

For most use cases, upgrade to the latest stable release: 
# Upgrade to latest version
helm upgrade openlit-operator openlit/openlit-operator \
  --namespace openlit \
  --reuse-values

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Upgrade to Specific Version

For production environments, pin to specific versions: 
# Upgrade to specific version
helm upgrade openlit-operator openlit/openlit-operator \
  --namespace openlit \
  --version 1.2.0 \
  --reuse-values

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Verify Upgrade

After upgrading, verify the operator is running correctly: 
# Check pod status
kubectl get pods -n openlit -l app.kubernetes.io/name=openlit-operator

# Check operator logs
kubectl logs -n openlit deployment/openlit-operator

# Verify CRDs are updated
kubectl get crd autoinstrumentations.openlit.io -o yaml | grep version

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Uninstallation

# Remove operator
helm uninstall openlit-operator -n openlit

# Remove CRDs (this will delete all AutoInstrumentation resources)
kubectl delete crd autoinstrumentations.openlit.io

# Remove namespace (optional)
kubectl delete namespace openlit

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Troubleshooting

Symptoms: Error creating CustomResourceDefinitionsSolutions:
# Check RBAC permissions
kubectl auth can-i create customresourcedefinitions

# Manually install CRDs if needed
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openlit/openlit/main/operator/deploy/openlit.io_autoinstrumentations.yaml

# Check cluster version compatibility
kubectl version
Symptoms: Webhook registration fails or returns certificate errorsSolutions:
# Check certificate secret
kubectl get secrets -n openlit | grep webhook

# Restart operator to regenerate certificates
kubectl rollout restart deployment/openlit-operator -n openlit

# Check webhook configuration
kubectl describe mutatingwebhookconfigurations openlit-operator
Symptoms: Operator pods stuck in ImagePullBackOffSolutions:
# Check image availability
docker pull ghcr.io/openlit/openlit-operator:latest

# Verify image pull secrets
kubectl get secrets -n openlit

# Check pod events
kubectl describe pod -n openlit -l app.kubernetes.io/name=openlit-operator