Kube9 Operator

Status

In Development - Active Preview

Overview

The Kube9 Operator is an open source Kubernetes operator that runs in your cluster. It performs scheduled Well-Architected Framework validation, exposes operator status for clients such as the VS Code extension, and enables optional Pro-tier reporting when an API key is configured.

Key Features

✅ Free Tier (No API Key)

• Scheduled Well-Architected Framework validation
• Point-in-time assessment outputs
• Local operator status exposure through ConfigMap
• Cluster tier and health signaling for client tools
• No external communication required

✨ Pro Tier (With API Key)

• All Free tier features
• Operator registration and scheduled reporting to kube9-server
• Sanitized telemetry flow for enhanced insights
• Enables advanced features in connected clients

🔄 ArgoCD Awareness

The operator can detect ArgoCD installation state and publish that status so connected tools can conditionally enable GitOps-focused views.

How It Works

1. Runs inside your cluster to access Kubernetes state securely.
2. Performs scheduled checks and computes operator status.
3. Publishes status to ConfigMap for local consumers.
4. Reports outbound only (Pro tier) when API key-based integration is enabled.

Installation

# Free tier (recommended)
helm repo add kube9 https://charts.kube9.io
helm repo update
helm install kube9-operator kube9/kube9-operator \
  --namespace kube9-system \
  --create-namespace

# Pro tier (with API key)
helm install kube9-operator kube9/kube9-operator \
  --set apiKey=kdy_prod_YOUR_KEY_HERE \
  --namespace kube9-system \
  --create-namespace

Configuration

The operator is configured through Helm values.

Setting	Description	Default
apiKey	API key for Pro tier	""
logLevel	Log verbosity	info
statusUpdateIntervalSeconds	Status refresh interval	60
serverUrl	Pro reporting endpoint	https://api.kube9.dev
argocd.autoDetect	Auto-detect ArgoCD	true
argocd.namespace	ArgoCD namespace	argocd
argocd.detectionInterval	Detection interval (hours)	6

Privacy & Data

Complete Privacy

Free tier operation stays inside your cluster. Pro tier sends sanitized data outbound only.

• Location: Runs inside your Kubernetes cluster
• Access: Uses Kubernetes RBAC to read required cluster state
• Privacy: Local checks by default; outbound reporting only when Pro tier is enabled
• Open Source: Completely free with full source code transparency

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Helm Chart
• Report Issues