How to Use the Elasticsearch Operator

Introduction to the Elasticsearch Operator

The Elasticsearch (Official site) Operator is a Kubernetes-native way to deploy, manage, and scale Elasticsearch clusters. It simplifies the complex task of managing Elasticsearch by automating common tasks such as upgrades, scaling, and backups.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you should have a Kubernetes cluster up and running. You will also need kubectl (Official site) installed and configured to interact with your cluster.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install the Elasticsearch Operator

First, add the Elastic Helm repository and update your package lists:

helm repo add elastic https://helm.elastic.co
helm repo update

Now, install the Elasticsearch Operator using Helm:

kubectl apply -f https://download.elastic.co/downloads/eck/1.7.1/all-in-one.yaml

Step 2: Deploy an Elasticsearch Cluster

Create a Custom Resource (CR) to deploy an Elasticsearch cluster:

cat <<EOF | kubectl apply -f -
apiVersion: elasticsearch.k8s.elastic.co/v1
kind: Elasticsearch
metadata:
  name: quickstart
spec:
  version: 7.14.2
  nodeSets:
  - name: default
    count: 3
    config:
      node.store.allow_mmap: false
EOF

Step 3: Access Your Elasticsearch Cluster

To access your Elasticsearch cluster, port-forward the service to your local environment:

kubectl port-forward service/quickstart-es-http 9200

You can now interact with your cluster using tools like Postman (Official site) or cURL.

Step 4: Scale Your Cluster

To scale the cluster, edit the count in your CR and apply the changes:

kubectl edit elasticsearch quickstart

Increase the node count under the default nodeSet.

Troubleshooting

If the operator doesn’t deploy correctly, check the logs for errors using: kubectl logs -f statefulset.apps/ -n
Ensure that your Kubernetes nodes have sufficient resources.

Summary

Installed the Elasticsearch Operator using Helm.
Deployed and accessed an Elasticsearch cluster.
Scaled the cluster by modifying the Custom Resource.

Using the Elasticsearch Operator simplifies the complexities of managing Elasticsearch clusters within Kubernetes environments. For other Kubernetes-related management tips, see our guide on installing Fluentd on Kubernetes.