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

Kubernetes Setup

Prerequisites

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

Cluster Requirements

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

Resource Requirements

ComponentCPUMemoryNotes
OpenLIT Operator100m128MiPer replica
Instrumentation Init Container100m128MiPer instrumented pod

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

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

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

Upgrade and Maintenance

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

Upgrading the Operator

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

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

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

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

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

Troubleshooting