1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
|
---
title: "Kubernetes visualizations"
description: "Netdata Cloud features rich, zero-configuration Kubernetes monitoring for the resource utilization and application metrics of Kubernetes (k8s) clusters."
custom_edit_url: "https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/cloud/visualize/kubernetes.md"
sidebar_label: "Kubernetes visualizations"
learn_status: "Published"
learn_topic_type: "Concepts"
learn_rel_path: "Operations/Visualizations"
---
Netdata Cloud features enhanced visualizations for the resource utilization of Kubernetes (k8s) clusters, embedded in
the default [Overview](/docs/cloud/visualize/overview/) dashboard.
These visualizations include a health map for viewing the status of k8s pods/containers, in addition to composite charts
for viewing per-second CPU, memory, disk, and networking metrics from k8s nodes.
## Before you begin
In order to use the Kubernetes visualizations in Netdata Cloud, you need:
- A Kubernetes cluster running Kubernetes v1.9 or newer.
- A Netdata deployment using the latest version of the [Helm chart](https://github.com/netdata/helmchart), which
installs [v1.29.2](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/releases) or newer of the Netdata Agent.
- To connect your Kubernetes cluster to Netdata Cloud.
- To enable the feature flag described below.
See our [Kubernetes deployment instructions](/docs/agent/packaging/installer/methods/kubernetes/) for details on
installation and connecting to Netdata Cloud.
## Available Kubernetes metrics
Netdata Cloud organizes and visualizes the following metrics from your Kubernetes cluster from every container:
- `cpu_limit`: CPU utilization as a percentage of the limit defined by the [pod specification
`spec.containers[].resources.limits.cpu`](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/manage-resources-containers/#resource-requests-and-limits-of-pod-and-container)
or a [`LimitRange`
object](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/manage-resources/cpu-default-namespace/#create-a-limitrange-and-a-pod).
- `cpu`: CPU utilization of the pod/container. 100% usage equals 1 fully-utilized core, 200% equals 2 fully-utilized
cores, and so on.
- `cpu_per_core`: CPU utilization averaged across available cores.
- `mem_usage_limit`: Memory utilization, without cache, as a percentage of the limit defined by the [pod specification
`spec.containers[].resources.limits.memory`](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/manage-resources-containers/#resource-requests-and-limits-of-pod-and-container)
or a [`LimitRange`
object](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/manage-resources/cpu-default-namespace/#create-a-limitrange-and-a-pod).
- `mem_usage`: Used memory, without cache.
- `mem`: The sum of `cache` and `rss` (resident set size) memory usage.
- `writeback`: The size of `dirty` and `writeback` cache.
- `mem_activity`: Sum of `in` and `out` bandwidth.
- `pgfaults`: Sum of page fault bandwidth, which are raised when the Kubernetes cluster tries accessing a memory page
that is mapped into the virtual address space, but not actually loaded into main memory.
- `throttle_io`: Sum of `read` and `write` per second across all PVs/PVCs attached to the container.
- `throttle_serviced_ops`: Sum of the `read` and `write` operations per second across all PVs/PVCs attached to the
container.
- `net.net`: Sum of `received` and `sent` bandwidth per second.
- `net.packets`: Sum of `multicast`, `received`, and `sent` packets.
When viewing the [health map](#health-map), Netdata Cloud shows the above metrics per container, or aggregated based on
their associated pods.
When viewing the [composite charts](#composite-charts), Netdata Cloud aggregates metrics from multiple nodes, pods, or
containers, depending on the grouping chosen. For example, if you group the `cpu_limit` composite chart by
`k8s_namespace`, the metrics shown will be the average of `cpu_limit` metrics from all nodes/pods/containers that are
part of that namespace.
## Health map
The health map places each container or pod as a single box, then varies the intensity of its color to visualize the
resource utilization of specific k8s pods/containers.
Change the health map's coloring, grouping, and displayed nodes to customize your experience and learn more about the
status of your k8s cluster.
### Color by
Color the health map by choosing an aggregate function to apply to an [available Kubernetes
metric](#available-kubernetes-metrics), then whether you to display boxes for individual pods or containers.
The default is the _average, of CPU within the configured limit, organized by container_.
### Group by
Group the health map by the `k8s_cluster_id`, `k8s_controller_kind`, `k8s_controller_name`, `k8s_kind`, `k8s_namespace`,
and `k8s_node_name`. The default is `k8s_controller_name`.
### Filtering
Filtering behaves identically to the [node filter in War Rooms](/docs/cloud/war-rooms#node-filter), with the ability to
filter pods/containers by `container_id` and `namespace`.
### Detailed information
Hover over any of the pods/containers in the map to display a modal window, which contains contextual information
and real-time metrics from that resource.
The **context** tab provides the following details about a container or pod:
- Cluster ID
- Node
- Controller Kind
- Controller Name
- Pod Name
- Container
- Kind
- Pod UID
This information helps orient you as to where the container/pod operates inside your cluster.
The **Metrics** tab contains charts visualizing the last 15 minutes of the same metrics available in the [color by
option](#color-by). Use these metrics along with the context, to identify which containers or pods are experiencing
problematic behavior to investigate further, troubleshoot, and remediate with `kubectl` or another tool.
## Composite charts
The Kubernetes composite charts show real-time and historical resource utilization metrics from nodes, pods, or
containers within your Kubernetes deployment.
See the [Overview](/docs/cloud/visualize/overview#definition-bar) doc for details on how composite charts work. These
work similarly, but in addition to visualizing _by dimension_ and _by node_, Kubernetes composite charts can also be
grouped by the following labels:
- `k8s_cluster_id`
- `k8s_container_id`
- `k8s_container_name`
- `k8s_controller_kind`
- `k8s_kind`
- `k8s_namespace`
- `k8s_node_name`
- `k8s_pod_name`
- `k8s_pod_uid`
In addition, when you hover over a composite chart, the colors in the heat map changes as well, so you can see how
certain pod/container-level metrics change over time.
## Caveats
There are some caveats and known issues with Kubernetes monitoring with Netdata Cloud.
- **No way to remove any nodes** you might have
[drained](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/safely-drain-node/) from your Kubernetes cluster. These
drained nodes will be marked "unreachable" and will show up in War Room management screens/dropdowns. The same applies
for any ephemeral nodes created and destroyed during horizontal scaling.
## What's next?
For more information about monitoring a k8s cluster with Netdata, see our guide: [_Kubernetes monitoring with Netdata: Overview and visualizations_](/guides/monitor/kubernetes-k8s-netdata/).
|
