Connect Existing Cluster
Bring Your Own Cluster (BYOC)
Scoutflo’s Connect Your Cluster feature empowers you to link your pre-existing AWS EKS cluster to the Scoutflo platform, seamlessly extending its capabilities without requiring you to build a new cluster from scratch. Whether your cluster is running micro services, hosting a monitoring stack, or managing critical workloads, Scoutflo enhances it with AI-driven insights, automation, and real-time management tools.
At its core, this feature is about bridging your current infrastructure with Scoutflo’s cutting-edge technology. Once connected, Scoutflo acts as an intelligent layer over your cluster, analyzing its state, identifying issues, and—depending on your chosen access mode—taking action to optimize performance and reliability.
Scope:
Scoutflo Integration with AWS EKS Clusters
Integrating your AWS EKS cluster with Scoutflo provides essential benefits:
Comprehensive Overview: Scoutflo collects all necessary cluster data, offering a complete understanding of its health and operations.
Intelligent Debugging: Our AI Engine detects and resolves issues like pod failures, resource bottlenecks, and misconfigurations.
Seamless Automation: Supports GitOps workflows, monitors clusters, and makes real-time adjustments for optimal performance.
Central Management: Consolidate multiple clusters under one intuitive dashboard for efficient oversight.
Enhancing your Kubernetes operations with Scoutflo offers several advantages:
Optimize Current Investments: Improve your existing EKS setup without needing new clusters.
Easy Integration: Set up Scoutflo with zero downtime or resource moving.
Quick Issue Resolution: AI diagnostics and fixes reduce resolution time for problems.
Scalable Oversight: As your infrastructure grows, maintain centralized control and visibility.
Adjustable Access: Choose between simple monitoring or full management to fit your needs.
Scoutflo transforms your cluster into a smarter, more resilient system:
Real-Time Monitoring: Continuously checks metrics and logs, providing comprehensive reports and alerts.
Automated Fixes: Restart pods, scale resources, or adjust settings automatically with write access.
Consistent Deployments: Ensure version-controlled deployments using GitOps.
Enhanced Monitoring: Integrate with tools like Prometheus and Grafana to automate monitoring and alerts.
Scoutflo Kubernetes Agent
The Scoutflo Agent is a lightweight, self-hosted server deployed directly within your Kubernetes cluster. It acts as a secure, policy-enforced gateway, enabling the Scoutflo platform to provide rich management, real-time monitoring, AI-powered debugging, and deployment capabilities without ever exposing your sensitive cluster data to external infrastructure.
By operating entirely within your network boundary, the Agent ensures that all secrets, logs, environment variables, and configuration data remain private and under your control, mitigating security concerns and adhering to the principle of least privilege.
Key Features & Benefits
1. Uncompromising Data Security & Privacy
Your Data Stays Yours: All operations (GET, LIST, WATCH, CREATE, PATCH, DELETE) on Kubernetes resources are performed locally within your cluster. Sensitive data including Secrets, Pod logs, ConfigMaps, and environment variables never leaves your environment and is never processed or stored on Scoutflo's servers.
Self-Hosted Architecture: The Agent is a binary you deploy, giving you full control over its lifecycle, network egress, and resource allocation.
2. Full Kubernetes API Coverage
Comprehensive Kubernetes coverage : The Agent provides a complete access to the entire Kubernetes API. This allows the Scoutflo Dashboard to offer a seamless and unified interface for managing any resource in your cluster from Pods and Deployments to Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs).
Real-Time Synchronization: Leveraging the Kubernetes WATCH API, the Agent enables real-time event streaming, providing the live data necessary for dynamic dashboards, instant debugging, and alerting.
3. Kubernetes RBAC Integration & Access Control
Native Security Integration: The Scoutflo Agent does not bypass your cluster's built-in security. It operates under a Service Account you define, meaning all actions are strictly governed by standard Kubernetes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
Granular Permissions: You control precisely what the Scoutflo Agent (and by extension, its users) can see and do by binding its Service Account to specific Roles and ClusterRoles. This ensures users in the Scoutflo Dashboard can only perform actions they are explicitly authorized for.
4. Purpose-Built for the Scoutflo Platform
AI Debugging & Insights: The Agent securely facilitates the on-cluster data processing required for Scoutflo's AI-driven diagnostics and recommendations, keeping proprietary and sensitive information private.
Deployment Engine: It serves as the secure execution point for deploying applications and managing resources, ensuring that deployment keys and images are handled internally.
Critical Tradeoffs: Adding an Existing Cluster vs. Creating a Cluster in Scoutflo Deploy
Scoutflo Deploy offers two flexible options for integrating clusters into your deployment workflow: adding an existing Amazon EKS cluster or creating a new cluster directly within the platform. Each approach has its unique benefits, and understanding these will help you choose the best option for your needs.
Adding an Existing EKS Cluster
Quick Integration: If you already have a configured EKS cluster, connecting it to Scoutflo Deploy is faster than setting up a new one. This lets you leverage your current infrastructure for immediate deployments, minimizing setup time.
Leverage Existing Resources: By integrating your existing EKS cluster, you utilize pre-configured compute instances, networking, and security settings, ensuring consistent resource management without needing to provision new ones.
Cost-Efficient: Since you’re using an already existing cluster, there's no additional cost for creating new infrastructure. This can be beneficial for organizations with established cloud environments.
Creating a New EKS Cluster with Scoutflo Deploy
Optimal Configuration and Best Practices: Scoutflo Deploy offers a guided setup for creating a new EKS cluster, ensuring that your cluster is configured with best practices in mind. This includes security, networking, and performance optimizations tailored for seamless integration with Scoutflo Deploy.
Guaranteed Compatibility: Since the cluster is created within Scoutflo Deploy, you eliminate compatibility concerns. The cluster will be fully optimized for Scoutflo’s features, guaranteeing a smooth and efficient deployment process.
Simplified Lifecycle Management: With Scoutflo Deploy handling the entire cluster lifecycle—from creation to upgrades—you enjoy a hassle-free management experience. This lets you focus on application deployments without worrying about infrastructure maintenance.
Cost and Performance Optimization: When creating a new cluster, Scoutflo Deploy ensures optimal resource allocation, which can lead to both improved application performance and cost efficiency. This helps you strike the right balance between performance and expenses.
Enhanced Visibility and Troubleshooting: A cluster created within Scoutflo Deploy provides complete visibility and control, making it easier to troubleshoot, monitor, and resolve issues. You have direct access to detailed insights and metrics, simplifying management.
Choosing the Right Approach
The ideal choice depends on your specific situation and priorities. Consider the following factors:
Existing EKS Cluster Availability: If you already have an EKS cluster with sufficient capacity, adding it might be the quickest route.
Control and Visibility: Are you looking for complete visibility and seamless integration with Scoutflo Deploy features? If so, creating a new cluster might be more suitable.
Management Complexity: Do you prefer a managed experience where Scoutflo Deploy handles lifecycle management, upgrades, and optimizations? If yes, creating a new cluster within Scoutflo Deploy is the way to go.
Our Recommendation
For most users, creating a new cluster within Scoutflo Deploy is the recommended option. This ensures you gain the benefits of optimal configuration, guaranteed compatibility, simplified management, and enhanced cost efficiency. However, if you already have a well-managed EKS cluster with sufficient resources and need to get started quickly, adding your existing cluster can be a practical and efficient choice.
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