Install Grafana on Kubernetes

How to Install Grafana on Kubernetes with Helm

This guide will walk you through the process of installing Grafana using Helm, the Kubernetes package manager, ensuring a smooth and efficient setup.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following tools installed and configured:

• Kubernetes - Installed locally or in a public cloud provider
• kubectl - Configured to communicate with your Kubernetes cluster
• Helm - For managing Kubernetes applications like Grafana
• Kubernetes Ingress controller - For accessing the installation on a url

Step 1: Add the Helm chart repository

First, add the repository containing the Grafana helm chart:

helm repo add grafana https://grafana.github.io/helm-charts
helm repo update
helm search repo grafana

Step 2: Create a namespace (optional)

Isolating applications within Kubernetes namespaces is a good practice. To deploy Grafana in its own namespace:

kubectl create namespace grafana

Step 3: Install Grafana using Helm

Now, you'll install Grafana. The helm chart name is "grafana":

helm install grafana grafana/grafana --namespace grafana --create-namespace

Step 4: Verify the installation

After installation, verify that your Grafana deployment is running smoothly:

kubectl get pods --namespace grafana
kubectl get all --namespace grafana

Step 5: Customize the Grafana installation (optional)

This process may require customizing your deployment through a customized values.yaml file, which specifies configuration options.

helm install grafana grafana/grafana --values values.yaml --namespace grafana

Step 6: Access Grafana

Accessing Grafana will depend on your chosen service configuration (LoadBalancer, NodePort, or Ingress). For Ingress access, ensure an Ingress controller is operational in your cluster.

Follow the instructions in the helm install notes, the output of Step 3.