OpenTelemetry Demo Kubernetes Deployment

This repository provides a guide to deploying the OpenTelemetry Demo application in a Kubernetes environment. The demo showcases how OpenTelemetry works and can be integrated into your observability stack.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure your environment meets the following requirements:

• Kubernetes 1.24+
• At least 6 GB of free RAM
• Helm 3.14+ (if using Helm for installation)

Installation Options

1. Install Using Helm (Recommended)

Helm simplifies deployment and management of the OpenTelemetry Demo. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Add the OpenTelemetry Helm Repository

helm repo add open-telemetry https://open-telemetry.github.io/opentelemetry-helm-charts

Step 2: Install the Helm Chart

To install the chart with the release name my-otel-demo, run:

helm install my-otel-demo open-telemetry/opentelemetry-demo

Notes:

• Upgrading the Helm chart from one version to another is not supported. To upgrade, delete the existing release and reinstall the updated version.
• Ensure you use Helm chart version 0.11.0 or later to access all features.

2. Install Using kubectl

For direct installation without Helm, use the Kubernetes manifests:

kubectl apply --namespace otel-demo -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-demo/main/kubernetes/opentelemetry-demo.yaml

Notes:

• Upgrading these manifests is not supported. To upgrade, delete the existing resources and reinstall the updated version.
• These manifests are generated from the Helm chart and provided for convenience. Using the Helm chart is recommended.

Exposing the Demo Application

To interact with the demo application, you must expose its services outside the Kubernetes cluster. Options include:

Option 1: Expose Services Using kubectl port-forward

To expose the frontendproxy service, use:

kubectl port-forward svc/my-otel-demo-frontendproxy 8080:8080

With port-forwarding enabled, access the following URLs:

• Web Store: http://localhost:8080/ (opens in a new tab)
• Grafana: http://localhost:8080/grafana/ (opens in a new tab)
• Load Generator UI: http://localhost:8080/loadgen/ (opens in a new tab)
• Jaeger UI: http://localhost:8080/jaeger/ui/ (opens in a new tab)
• Flagd Configurator UI: http://localhost:8080/feature (opens in a new tab)

Note:

kubectl port-forward requires an active terminal session. Use Ctrl-C to terminate the process.

Option 2: Expose Using Service or Ingress Configurations

Ingress Resource Configuration

For the frontendproxy component, configure ingress resources in your values file:

components:
  frontendProxy:
    ingress:
      enabled: true
      annotations: {}
      hosts:
        - host: otel-demo.my-domain.com
          paths:
            - path: /
              pathType: Prefix
              port: 8080

Ensure your cluster supports ingress resources.

Service Type Configuration

To configure the frontendproxy as a LoadBalancer, specify:

components:
  frontendProxy:
    service:
      type: LoadBalancer

Advanced Configurations

Browser Telemetry

Specify the OpenTelemetry Collector endpoint in the frontend component:

components:
  frontend:
    envOverrides:
      - name: PUBLIC_OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT
        value: http://otel-demo.my-domain.com/otlp-http/v1/traces

Bring Your Own Backend

To use an existing observability backend, update the OpenTelemetry Collector configuration:

opentelemetry-collector:
  config:
    exporters:
      otlphttp/example:
        endpoint: <your-endpoint-url>
 
    service:
      pipelines:
        traces:
          exporters: [spanmetrics, otlphttp/example]

Ensure the spanmetrics exporter remains in the pipeline to avoid errors.

Custom Helm Installation with Values File

Use the following command to install with a custom values file:

helm install my-otel-demo open-telemetry/opentelemetry-demo --values my-values-file.yaml

Feedback

If you have any questions or issues, visit OpenTelemetry Documentation (opens in a new tab).

For more, visit my blog: docs.ahmadraza.in (opens in a new tab).