Datadog Operator is an open source Kubernetes Operator that enables you to deploy and configure the Datadog Agent in a Kubernetes environment.
By using the Operator, you can use a single Custom Resource Definition (CRD) to deploy the node-based Agent, Cluster Agent, and cluster checks runner. The Operator reports deployment status, health, and errors in the Operator’s CRD status. Because the Operator uses higher-level configuration options, it limits the risk of misconfiguration.
Once you have deployed the Agent, the Datadog Operator provides the following:
- Validation for your Agent configurations
- Keeping all Agents up-to-date with your configuration
- Orchestration for creating and updating Agent resources
- Reporting of Agent configuration status in the Operator’s CRD status
- Optionally, use of an advanced DaemonSet deployment by using Datadog’s ExtendedDaemonSet
Why use the Datadog Operator instead of a Helm chart or DaemonSet?
You can also use a Helm chart or a DaemonSet to install the Datadog Agent on Kubernetes. However, using the Datadog Operator offers the following advantages:
- The Operator has built-in defaults based on Datadog best practices.
- Operator configuration is more flexible for future enhancements.
- As a Kubernetes Operator, the Datadog Operator is treated as a first-class resource by the Kubernetes API.
- Unlike the Helm chart, the Operator is included in the Kubernetes reconciliation loop.
Datadog fully supports using a DaemonSet to deploy the Agent, but manual DaemonSet configuration leaves significant room for error. Therefore, using a DaemonSet is not highly recommended.
Usage
See the Getting Started with the Datadog Operator guide to learn how to use the Operator to deploy the Datadog Agent.
For all installation and configuration options, see the detailed installation and configuration pages in the datadog-operator repo.
Further Reading
Additional helpful documentation, links, and articles:
