--- title: Installing the Datadog Operator description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring. breadcrumbs: Docs > Containers > Datadog Operator > Installing the Datadog Operator --- # Installing the Datadog Operator This document contains detailed information about installing the Datadog Operator. For basic installation instructions for the Datadog Agent on Kubernetes, see [Install the Datadog Agent on Kubernetes](https://docs.datadoghq.com/containers/kubernetes/installation). ## Prerequisites{% #prerequisites %} - **Kubernetes Cluster version >= v1.20.X**: Tests were performed on Kubernetes versions >= `1.20.0`. It is expected to work on versions `>= v1.11.0`, but for earlier versions the Operator may not work as expected because of limited CRD support. - **[Helm](https://helm.sh)** for deploying the Datadog Operator - **[`kubectl` CLI](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl/)** for installing the Datadog Agent ## Install the Datadog Operator with Helm{% #install-the-datadog-operator-with-helm %} You can deploy the Datadog Operator in your cluster using the [Datadog Operator Helm chart](https://artifacthub.io/packages/helm/datadog/datadog-operator): ```shell helm repo add datadog https://helm.datadoghq.com helm install my-datadog-operator datadog/datadog-operator ``` To customize the Operator configuration, create a `values.yaml` file that can override the default Helm chart values. For instance: ```yaml image: tag: 1.2.0 clusterName: my-cluster datadogMonitor: enabled: true ``` Then, to update the Helm release, run: ```shell helm upgrade my-datadog-operator datadog/datadog-operator -f values.yaml ``` ### Add credentials{% #add-credentials %} 1. Create a Kubernetes Secret that contains your API and application keys. ```gdscript3 export DD_API_KEY= export DD_APP_KEY= kubectl create secret generic datadog-operator-secret --from-literal api-key=$DD_API_KEY --from-literal app-key=$DD_APP_KEY ``` 1. Reference this Secret in your `values.yaml` file. ```yaml apiKeyExistingSecret: datadog-operator-secret appKeyExistingSecret: datadog-operator-secret image: tag: 1.2.0 datadogMonitor: enabled: true ``` 1. Update the Helm release. ```shell helm upgrade my-datadog-operator datadog/datadog-operator -f values.yaml ``` ### Configure cluster name (optional){% #configure-cluster-name-optional %} Setting a cluster name is optional but recommended. The cluster name can be configured in the following ways: - **Helm chart `clusterName` value** (sets `DD_CLUSTER_NAME` environment variable on the Operator): ```yaml clusterName: my-cluster ``` - **DatadogAgent CRD `spec.global.clusterName`**: ```yaml apiVersion: datadoghq.com/v2alpha1 kind: DatadogAgent metadata: name: datadog spec: global: clusterName: my-cluster ``` ## Install the Datadog Operator with Operator Lifecycle Manager{% #install-the-datadog-operator-with-operator-lifecycle-manager %} Instructions for deploying the Datadog Operator with [Operator Lifecycle Manager](https://olm.operatorframework.io/) (OLM) are available at [operatorhub.io](https://operatorhub.io/operator/datadog-operator). ### Override the default Operator configuration with OLM{% #override-the-default-operator-configuration-with-olm %} The [Operator Lifecycle Manager](https://olm.operatorframework.io/) framework allows overriding the default Operator configuration. See [Subscription Config](https://github.com/operator-framework/operator-lifecycle-manager/blob/master/doc/design/subscription-config.md) for a list of the supported installation configuration parameters. For example, the following [Operator Lifecycle Manager](https://olm.operatorframework.io/) `Subscription` changes the Datadog Operator's Pod resources: ```yaml apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1 kind: Subscription metadata: name: my-datadog-operator namespace: operators spec: channel: stable name: datadog-operator source: operatorhubio-catalog sourceNamespace: olm config: resources: requests: memory: "250Mi" cpu: "250m" limits: memory: "250Mi" cpu: "500m" ``` ### Add credentials{% #add-credentials-1 %} 1. Create a Kubernetes Secret that contains your API and application keys. ```gdscript3 export DD_API_KEY= export DD_APP_KEY= kubectl create secret generic datadog-operator-secret --from-literal api-key=$DD_API_KEY --from-literal app-key=$DD_APP_KEY ``` 1. Add references to the Secret in the Datadog Operator `Subscription` resource instance. ```yaml apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1 kind: Subscription metadata: name: my-datadog-operator namespace: operators spec: channel: stable name: datadog-operator source: operatorhubio-catalog sourceNamespace: olm config: env: - name: DD_API_KEY valueFrom: secretKeyRef: key: api-key name: datadog-operator-secret - name: DD_APP_KEY valueFrom: secretKeyRef: key: app-key name: datadog-operator-secret ``` ## Deploy the DatadogAgent custom resource managed by the Operator{% #deploy-the-datadogagent-custom-resource-managed-by-the-operator %} After deploying the Datadog Operator, create the `DatadogAgent` resource that triggers the deployment of the Datadog Agent, Cluster Agent, and Cluster Checks Runners (if used) in your Kubernetes cluster. The Datadog Agent is deployed as a DaemonSet, running a pod on every node of your cluster. 1. Create a Kubernetes secret with your API and application keys. ```gdscript3 export DD_API_KEY= export DD_APP_KEY= kubectl create secret generic datadog-secret --from-literal api-key= --from-literal app-key= ``` 1. Create a file with the spec of your `DatadogAgent` deployment configuration. The simplest configuration is: ```yaml apiVersion: datadoghq.com/v1alpha1 kind: DatadogAgent metadata: name: datadog spec: credentials: apiSecret: secretName: datadog-secret keyName: api-key appSecret: secretName: datadog-secret keyName: app-key ``` 1. Deploy the Datadog Agent with the above configuration file: ```shell kubectl apply -f /path/to/your/datadog-agent.yaml ``` In a cluster with two worker nodes, you should see the Agent Pods created on each node. ```console $ kubectl get daemonset NAME DESIRED CURRENT READY UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE NODE SELECTOR AGE datadog-agent 2 2 2 2 2 5m30s $ kubectl get pod -owide NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE IP NODE agent-datadog-operator-d897fc9b-7wbsf 1/1 Running 0 1h 10.244.2.11 kind-worker datadog-agent-k26tp 1/1 Running 0 5m59s 10.244.2.13 kind-worker datadog-agent-zcxx7 1/1 Running 0 5m59s 10.244.1.7 kind-worker2 ``` ### Tolerations{% #tolerations %} Update your [`datadog-agent.yaml` file](https://github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/blob/main/examples/datadogagent/datadog-agent-with-tolerations.yaml) with the following configuration to add tolerations in the `Daemonset.spec.template` of your DaemonSet: ```yaml apiVersion: datadoghq.com/v1alpha1 kind: DatadogAgent metadata: name: datadog spec: credentials: apiSecret: secretName: datadog-secret keyName: api-key appSecret: secretName: datadog-secret keyName: app-key agent: config: tolerations: - operator: Exists ``` Apply this new configuration: ```console $ kubectl apply -f datadog-agent.yaml datadogagent.datadoghq.com/datadog updated ``` Validate the DaemonSet update by looking at the new `desired` Pod value: ```console $ kubectl get daemonset NAME DESIRED CURRENT READY UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE NODE SELECTOR AGE datadog-agent 3 3 3 3 3 7m31s $ kubectl get pod NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE agent-datadog-operator-d897fc9b-7wbsf 1/1 Running 0 15h datadog-agent-5ctrq 1/1 Running 0 7m43s datadog-agent-lkfqt 0/1 Running 0 15s datadog-agent-zvdbw 1/1 Running 0 8m1s ``` ## Configuration{% #configuration %} For a full list of configuration options, see the [configuration spec](https://github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/blob/main/docs/configuration.v2alpha1.md). ## Install the kubectl plugin{% #install-the-kubectl-plugin %} See the [`kubectl` plugin documentation](https://github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/blob/main/docs/kubectl-plugin.md). ## Use a custom Datadog Operator image{% #use-a-custom-datadog-operator-image %} See instructions to build a Datadog Operator custom container image based on an official release in [Custom Operator container images](https://github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/blob/main/docs/custom-operator-image.md). ### Datadog Operator images with Helm charts{% #datadog-operator-images-with-helm-charts %} To install a custom Datadog Operator image using the Helm chart, run the following: ```shell helm install my-datadog-operator --set image.repository= --set image.tag= datadog/datadog-operator ``` ## Cleanup{% #cleanup %} The following command deletes all the Kubernetes resources created by the Datadog Operator and the linked `DatadogAgent` `datadog`. ```shell kubectl delete datadogagent datadog ``` This command outputs `datadogagent.datadoghq.com/datadog deleted`. You can then remove the Datadog Operator with the `helm delete` command: ```shell helm delete my-datadog-operator ```