vcluster

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Create fully functional virtual Kubernetes clusters - Each vcluster runs inside a namespace of the underlying k8s cluster. It's cheaper than creating separate full-blown clusters and it offers better multi-tenancy and isolation than regular namespaces.

Prerequisites

Kubernetes 1.18+
Helm 3.10.0+

Get Helm Repository Info

bash

helm repo add loft-sh https://charts.loft.sh
helm repo update

See helm repo for command documentation.

Install Helm Chart

bash

helm upgrade [RELEASE_NAME] loft-sh/vcluster -n [RELEASE_NAMESPACE] --create-namespace --install

See vcluster docs for configuration options.

See helm upgrade for command documentation.

Connect to the vcluster

In order to connect to the installed vcluster, please install vcluster cli and run:

bash

vcluster connect [RELEASE_NAME] -n [RELEASE_NAMESPACE]

Uninstall Helm Chart

bash

helm uninstall [RELEASE_NAME]

This removes all the Kubernetes components associated with the chart and deletes the release.

See helm uninstall for command documentation.

Why Virtual Kubernetes Clusters?

Cluster Scoped Resources: much more powerful than simple namespaces (virtual clusters allow users to use CRDs, namespaces, cluster roles etc.)
Ease of Use: usable in any Kubernetes cluster and created in seconds either via a single command or cluster-api
Cost Efficient: much cheaper and efficient than "real" clusters (single pod and shared resources just like for namespaces)
Strict isolation: complete separate Kubernetes control plane and access point for each vcluster while still being able to share certain services of the underlying host cluster
Cluster Wide Permissions: allow users to install apps which require cluster-wide permissions while being limited to actually just one namespace within the host cluster
Great for Testing: allow you to test different Kubernetes versions inside a single host cluster which may have a different version than the virtual clusters

Learn more on www.vcluster.com.

Learn more in the documentation.