Cluster Dashboards with HelloScope

By Raj Marni. March 28, 2025. Revised. Version: 0.0.09

1. Introduction

In the k8or Orbit ecosystem, once a Kubernetes cluster is created, bootstrapped, and its baseline health is confirmed through the Cluster Matrix (via K8rix), the next essential step is continuous monitoring and management. The Cluster Dashboard with HelloScope is the solution for this stage. Customized specifically for k8or Orbit, this dashboard is deployed on every K3s cluster in the Cluster Plane to offer real‑time insights, historical trend analysis, and actionable alerts. It integrates tightly with components such as ClusterWatch (for metrics), AccessPoint (for secure data flows), and InsightHub (for aggregated monitoring), ensuring that administrators and developers have a unified, secure view of each cluster’s operational state.

2. Key Functions

  1. Real-Time Metrics Visualization

    • Interactive Dashboards: Display real‑time metrics including CPU, memory, network usage, pod statuses, and node health.

    • Custom Views: Pre-configured dashboards reflect cluster-specific performance and environmental data.

  2. Historical Data Analysis & Trend Reporting

    • Time-Series Data: Presents historical metrics collected by ClusterWatch, allowing teams to perform trend analysis and capacity planning.

    • Alerting Integration: Uses threshold-based alerts to inform teams of critical issues before they escalate.

  3. Operational Control & Troubleshooting

    • Drill-Down Capabilities: Enables administrators to drill down from high-level cluster overviews into specific namespaces, deployments, and pods.

    • Event Logs & Notifications: Displays logs and events (sourced from components like SyncMaster and ChartStore) to aid in troubleshooting and root-cause analysis.

  4. Secure Access & Multi-Environment Support

    • Per-Cluster Deployment: Each K3s cluster hosts its own instance of HelloScope, ensuring that monitoring data is localized and tailored to the cluster’s configuration.

    • Access Control: Integrates with AccessPoint for secure, role-based access to dashboards and underlying data.

  5. Integration with CI/CD & Automation

    • Deployment Feedback: Works in concert with Argo CD to reflect real-time deployment statuses and configuration changes.

    • Unified Monitoring: Feeds data into broader observability platforms (like InsightHub) for centralized monitoring across clusters.

3. Architecture & Interactions

3.1 Deployment Architecture

  • Dedicated Instance per Cluster:

    • Each K3s cluster in the Cluster Plane is provisioned with its own instance of HelloScope, ensuring that data is isolated and environment-specific.

    • These instances are automatically deployed and configured via CI/CD pipelines (using Argo CD ApplicationSets) and follow the standardized configuration defined in the orbit-plane.

3.2 Data Flow & Integrations

  • ClusterWatch Integration (C88):

    • HelloScope uses ClusterWatch as its primary data source. ClusterWatch scrapes metrics from each cluster (via Node Exporter, cAdvisor, and custom exporters), and HelloScope queries these metrics to build dashboards.

  • AccessPoint (C52):

    • All communication between HelloScope and the underlying Kubernetes API or ClusterWatch is routed through AccessPoint, ensuring that all data flows are secure and authenticated.

  • InsightHub & K8rix:

    • While K8rix (Cluster Matrix) provides a high-level aggregated view of cluster health, HelloScope delivers detailed, drill-down visualizations.

    • InsightHub aggregates logs and alerts from multiple sources, with HelloScope serving as the interactive frontend for deeper analysis.

  • CI/CD Integration with Argo CD (C108):

    • Automated updates to HelloScope dashboards can be triggered by changes in configuration repositories. Argo CD continuously synchronizes the desired state of the dashboards (and associated data sources) with the live clusters.

  • ChartStore (C20):

    • In some configurations, HelloScope dashboard templates or configuration files may be stored in the ChartStore and versioned, ensuring consistency across deployments.

3.3 Communication & Process Flow Example

  1. Data Collection:

    • ClusterWatch scrapes metrics from cluster nodes and pods.

    • Metrics data flows securely through AccessPoint to HelloScope.

  2. Dashboard Querying:

    • HelloScope queries ClusterWatch using PromQL to retrieve live and historical data.

    • Custom dashboard panels update in real-time, reflecting the current state of the cluster.

  3. User Interaction:

    • Administrators log in (using SSO integrated with orbit-plane IAM) and view detailed dashboards.

    • They drill down into specific metrics to diagnose issues or validate deployment statuses.

  4. Alerting and Notifications:

    • When thresholds are exceeded (e.g., CPU usage spikes), ClusterWatch alerts are displayed in HelloScope and sent via integrated notification channels (email, Slack).

4. Security & Access Control

  • Role-Based Access:

    • HelloScope instances enforce RBAC rules, ensuring that only authorized users (as defined by orbit-plane IAM and AccessPoint) can view or modify dashboards.

  • Secure Data Transmission:

    • All API calls and data queries between HelloScope, ClusterWatch, and the Kubernetes API are secured with TLS.

  • Audit Logging:

    • All interactions (dashboard access, configuration changes, alert acknowledgments) are logged and forwarded to the orbit-plane monitoring systems for compliance and troubleshooting.

5. Benefits & Impact

  1. Enhanced Operational Visibility:

    • Real-time, detailed dashboards empower administrators to quickly assess cluster health, identify performance issues, and respond to alerts.

  2. Improved Troubleshooting:

    • The ability to drill down from high-level metrics to granular details (e.g., specific pod or node metrics) accelerates problem resolution.

  3. Consistent Monitoring Across Clusters:

    • Dedicated HelloScope instances per cluster ensure that each environment (dev, test, prod) is monitored consistently with standardized metrics and alerting thresholds.

  4. Scalable & Flexible:

    • The integration with ClusterWatch and automated deployment via Argo CD means that as clusters scale or evolve, the monitoring system adapts without manual intervention.

  5. Secure, Centralized Control:

    • With robust access control via AccessPoint and orbit-plane IAM integration, HelloScope dashboards remain secure, ensuring that sensitive operational data is only accessible to authorized users.

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