A helper tool that sets up all essential platform tools to prepare a Kubernetes cluster for running applications.
Cluster-Forge is a tool designed to bundle various third-party, community, and in-house components into a single, streamlined stack that can be deployed in Kubernetes clusters. By automating the process, Cluster-Forge simplifies the repeated creation of consistent, ready-to-use clusters.
This tool is not meant to replace simple helm install or kubectl apply commands for single-use development clusters. Instead, it wraps these workflows into a robust process tailored for scenarios such as:
- Ephemeral test clusters
- CI/CD pipeline clusters
- Scaling and managing multiple clusters efficiently
Cluster-Forge is built with the idea of ephemeral and reproducible clusters, enabling you to spin up identical environments quickly and reliably.
Cluster-Forge operates through a sequence of well-defined steps:
- (Optional) Update
input/config.yamlwith any required tools or configurations. - Smelt: Normalize YAML configurations.
- Customize: Add optional template-based customizations.
- Cast: Package the software stack into a deployable image.
- Temper: Verify cluster readiness for the Forge step.
- Forge: Deploy the image and start up the software stack in your cluster.
NOTE: The casted SW stack can also be deployed with a shell script (deploy.sh) found in stacks/<stackname> directory. An uninstall script is also found the the same directory which should uninstall all components installed by a stack deployment.
Ensure the following tools are installed:
- Golang (v1.23 or higher)
- kubectl
- Helm
Cluster-Forge is still a work in progress, and the following issues are currently known:
- Kyverno Policies: There are known issues when smelting Kyverno configurations. Avoid using Kyverno policies for now.
- Size Limitations: Selecting "all" components may exceed configuration limits and cause failures. A reasonable subset should work fine.
- Terminal Line Handling: Errors occurring alongside the progress spinner may cause terminal formatting issues. To restore the terminal, run:
reset
We are actively working on resolving the known issues and improving the overall functionality of Cluster-Forge. Your feedback is always welcome!
Cluster-Forge is designed to simplify Kubernetes cluster management, especially when dealing with ephemeral, test, or pipeline clusters. By combining multiple tools and workflows into a repeatable process, Cluster-Forge saves time and ensures consistency across deployments.
Give it a try, and let us know how it works for you!