Kubernetes using Helm

Deploy and configure the Scout Collector on Kubernetes using Helm.

Overview

This guide covers how to collect telemetry data (logs, metrics, and traces) from your Kubernetes environment and send it to base14 Scout.

• Install base14 Scout's Scout Collector using Helm
• Configure telemetry collection for Kubernetes pods
• Set up multi-namespace monitoring
• Configure custom metrics endpoints
• Implement trace collection

Prerequisites

• A Kubernetes cluster (EKS, GKE, AKS, or other distributions)
• Helm 3.x installed
• kubectl configured with cluster access
• Scout account credentials
  • Endpoint URL
  • API Key
  • Token URL
  • Application Name

Quick Start Guide

Deploy Scout Collector in minutes by following these steps:

Fargate

helm repo add base14 https://charts.base14.io/

helm install scout base14/scout-collector --version 0.5.5 \
--namespace scout --create-namespace -f values.yaml

Managed Nodes

helm repo add base14 https://charts.base14.io/

helm install scout base14/scout-collector --version 0.5.5 \
--namespace scout --create-namespace -f values.yaml

Configuration Guide

Using Otelcol style configuration

Following is an example of a values.yaml file that can be used to configure scout collector using otelcol style configuration. Here the configuration follows the same semantics as the Scout Collector config. This gives a greater flexibility in terms of what you can configure to be scraped, collected etc. Reference the otel-collector-config for more details.

Fargate

values.yaml

scout:
  endpoint: __YOUR_ENDPOINT__
  tokenUrl: __YOUR_TOKEN_URL__
  appName: __YOUR_APP_NAME__
  apiKey: __YOUR_API_KEY__
  clientId: __YOUR_CLIENT_ID__
  clientSecret: __YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET__
  distribution: microk8s

  
  daemon:
    enabled: false
  agent:
    enabled: true
    config: |
      receivers:
        otlp:
          protocols:
            grpc:
              endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:4317
            http:
              endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:4318
         
        k8s_cluster:
           auth_type: 'serviceAccount'
           collection_interval: 60s
           node_conditions_to_report: [
             ready, 
             memorypressure, 
             diskpressure, 
             pidpressure, 
             networkunavailable]
           resource_attributes:
             k8s.container.status.last_terminated_reason:
               enabled: true
           metrics:
             k8s.pod.status_reason:
               enabled: true
             k8s.node.condition:
               enabled: true
           allocatable_types_to_report: [ 
             cpu, 
             memory, 
             ephemeral-storage, 
             storage ]
        k8sobjects:
          objects:
            - name: events
              mode: pull
              interval: 60s
              group: events.k8s.io
            - name: deployments
              mode: pull
              interval: 60s
              group: deployments.k8s.io
            - name: resourcequotas
              mode: pull
              interval: 60s
              group: resourcequotas.k8s.io

      processors:
        batch:
          timeout: 2s
          send_batch_size: 8192
          send_batch_max_size: 10000
        memory_limiter:
          check_interval: 5s
          limit_percentage: 80
          spike_limit_percentage: 30
        resource:
          attributes:
            - key: service.name
              value: {{ .Values.scout.appName }}
              action: upsert
        resource/k8s:
          attributes:
            - key: service.name
              value: k8s
              action: upsert
        resource/k8s-events:
          attributes:
            - key: service.name
              value: k8s-events
              action: upsert
        resource/env:
          attributes:
            - key: environment
              value: <environment>
              action: upsert
            - key: k8s.cluster.name
              value: <cluster-name>
              action: upsert
        resourcedetection/eks:
          detectors: [env, eks]
          override: true
          eks:
            resource_attributes:
              k8s.cluster.name:
                enabled: true
        k8sattributes:
          auth_type: 'serviceAccount'
          extract:
            metadata:
              - k8s.namespace.name
              - k8s.pod.name
              - k8s.pod.hostname
              - k8s.pod.ip
              - k8s.pod.start_time
              - k8s.pod.uid
              - k8s.replicaset.uid
              - k8s.replicaset.name
              - k8s.deployment.uid
              - k8s.deployment.name
              - k8s.daemonset.uid
              - k8s.daemonset.name
              - k8s.statefulset.uid
              - k8s.statefulset.name
              - k8s.cronjob.name
              - k8s.job.uid
              - k8s.job.name
              - k8s.node.name
              - k8s.cluster.uid
              - container.image.name
              - container.image.tag
              - container.id
            annotations:
              - tag_name: service.name
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.name
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.namespace
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.namespace
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.version
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.version
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.instance.id
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.instance.id
                from: pod
            labels:
              - tag_name: kube_app_name
                key: app.kubernetes.io/name
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_instance
                key: app.kubernetes.io/instance
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_version
                key: app.kubernetes.io/version
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_component
                key: app.kubernetes.io/component
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_part_of
                key: app.kubernetes.io/part-of
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_managed_by
                key: app.kubernetes.io/managed-by
                from: pod
          pod_association:
            - sources:
                - from: resource_attribute
                  name: k8s.pod.ip
            - sources:
                - from: resource_attribute
                  name: k8s.pod.uid
            - sources:
                - from: connection


      exporters:
        otlphttp/base14:
          endpoint: {{ .Values.scout.endpoint }}
          auth:
            authenticator: oauth2client
          tls:
            insecure_skip_verify: true

      extensions:
        health_check:
        pprof:
        zpages:
        oauth2client:
          client_id: {{ .Values.scout.clientId }}
          client_secret: {{ .Values.scout.clientSecret }}
          endpoint_params:
            audience: b14collector
          token_url: {{ .Values.scout.tokenUrl }}
          tls:
            insecure_skip_verify: true

      service:
        extensions: [health_check, pprof, zpages, oauth2client]
        pipelines:
          traces:
            receivers: [otlp]
            processors: [batch]
            exporters: [otlphttp/base14]
          logs:
            receivers: [otlp]
            processors: [batch]
            exporters: [otlphttp/base14]
          logs/k8s-events:
            receivers: [ k8sobjects]
            processors: [ 
              memory_limiter, 
              batch, 
              resource/k8s-events, 
              resourcedetection/eks, 
              resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          logs/k8s-cluster:
            receivers: [ k8s_cluster ]
            processors: [ 
              memory_limiter, 
              batch, 
              resource/k8s, 
              resourcedetection/eks, 
              resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          metrics:
            receivers: [ otlp ]
            processors: [ memory_limiter, batch, resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          metrics/k8s:
            receivers: [ k8s_cluster ]
            processors: [ 
              memory_limiter, 
              batch, 
              resource/k8s, 
              resourcedetection/eks, 
              resource/env, 
              k8sattributes ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
        telemetry:
          logs:
            level: warn
            encoding: json

Managed Nodes

values.yaml

scout:
  endpoint: __YOUR_ENDPOINT__
  tokenUrl: __YOUR_TOKEN_URL__
  appName: __YOUR_APP_NAME__
  apiKey: __YOUR_API_KEY__
  clientId: __YOUR_CLIENT_ID__
  clientSecret: __YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET__  
  distribution: eks


  daemon:
    enabled: true
    config: |
      extensions:
        health_check:
          endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:13133
        zpages:
          endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:55679
      exporters:
        otlp/agent:
          endpoint: scout-agent-collector.scout.svc.cluster.local:4317
          tls:
            insecure: true

      processors:
        batch:
          timeout: 2s
          send_batch_size: 8192
          send_batch_max_size: 10000
        memory_limiter:
          check_interval: 5s
          limit_percentage: 80
          spike_limit_percentage: 30
        resource:
          attributes:
            - key: service.name
              value: {{ .Values.scout.appName }}
              action: upsert
        resource/k8s:
          attributes:
            - key: service.name
              value: k8s
              action: upsert
        resource/env:
          attributes:
            - key: environment
              value: <environment>
              action: upsert
            - key: k8s.cluster.name
              value: <cluster-name>
              action: upsert
        resourcedetection/eks:
          detectors: [env, eks]
          override: true
          eks:
            resource_attributes:
              k8s.cluster.name:
                enabled: true
        k8sattributes:
          auth_type: 'serviceAccount'
          extract:
            metadata:
              - k8s.namespace.name
              - k8s.pod.name
              - k8s.pod.hostname
              - k8s.pod.ip
              - k8s.pod.start_time
              - k8s.pod.uid
              - k8s.replicaset.uid
              - k8s.replicaset.name
              - k8s.deployment.uid
              - k8s.deployment.name
              - k8s.daemonset.uid
              - k8s.daemonset.name
              - k8s.statefulset.uid
              - k8s.statefulset.name
              - k8s.cronjob.name
              - k8s.job.uid
              - k8s.job.name
              - k8s.node.name
              - k8s.cluster.uid
              - container.image.name
              - container.image.tag
              - container.id
            annotations:
              - tag_name: service.name
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.name
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.namespace
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.namespace
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.version
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.version
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.instance.id
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.instance.id
                from: pod
            labels:
              - tag_name: kube_app_name
                key: app.kubernetes.io/name
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_instance
                key: app.kubernetes.io/instance
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_version
                key: app.kubernetes.io/version
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_component
                key: app.kubernetes.io/component
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_part_of
                key: app.kubernetes.io/part-of
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_managed_by
                key: app.kubernetes.io/managed-by
                from: pod
          pod_association:
            - sources:
                - from: resource_attribute
                  name: k8s.pod.ip
            - sources:
                - from: resource_attribute
                  name: k8s.pod.uid
            - sources:
                - from: connection

      receivers:
        otlp:
          protocols:
            grpc:
              endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:4317
            http:
              endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:4318
        kubeletstats:
          collection_interval: 60s
          endpoint: https://${env:K8S_NODE_NAME}:10250
          insecure_skip_verify: true
          auth_type: 'serviceAccount'
          metric_groups:
            - node
            - pod
            - volume
            - container
          extra_metadata_labels:
            - container.id
        filelog:
          include:
            - /var/log/pods/*/*/*.log
          start_at: end
          include_file_path: true
          include_file_name: false
          operators:
            - type: container
              id: container-parser
      service:
        extensions: [zpages, health_check]
        pipelines:
          traces:
            receivers: [otlp]
            processors: [batch, resource, resource/env]
            exporters: [otlp/agent]
          logs:
            receivers: [otlp, filelog]
            processors: [batch, resource/env]
            exporters: [otlp/agent]
          metrics:
            receivers: [otlp]
            processors: [memory_limiter, batch, resource/env]
            exporters: [otlp/agent]
          metrics/k8s:
            receivers: [kubeletstats]
            processors:
              [
                memory_limiter,
                batch,
                resource/k8s,
                resourcedetection/eks,
                resource/env,
                k8sattributes,
              ]
            exporters: [otlp/agent]
        telemetry:
          logs:
            level: warn
            encoding: json

  agent:
    enabled: true
    config: |
      extensions:
        health_check:
          endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:13133
        zpages:
          endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:55679
        oauth2client:
          client_id: {{ .Values.scout.clientId }}
          client_secret: {{ .Values.scout.clientSecret }}
          endpoint_params:
            audience: b14collector
          token_url: {{ .Values.scout.tokenUrl }}
          tls:
            insecure_skip_verify: true
      exporters:
        debug:
          verbosity: detailed
        otlphttp/base14:
          endpoint: {{ .Values.scout.endpoint }}
          auth:
            authenticator: oauth2client
          tls:
            insecure_skip_verify: true
      processors:
        batch:
          timeout: 2s
          send_batch_size: 8192
          send_batch_max_size: 10000
        memory_limiter:
          check_interval: 5s
          limit_percentage: 80
          spike_limit_percentage: 30
        resource:
          attributes:
          - key: service.name
            value: {{ .Values.scout.appName }}
            action: upsert
        resource/k8s:
          attributes:
          - key: service.name
            value: k8s
            action: upsert
        resource/env:
          attributes:
          - key: environment
            value: <environment>
            action: upsert
          - key: k8s.cluster.name
            value: <cluster-name>
            action: upsert
        resourcedetection/eks:
          detectors: [env,  eks]
          override: true
          eks:
            resource_attributes:
              k8s.cluster.name:
                enabled: true
        k8sattributes:
          auth_type: 'serviceAccount'
          extract:
            metadata: 
              - k8s.namespace.name
              - k8s.pod.name
              - k8s.pod.hostname
              - k8s.pod.ip
              - k8s.pod.start_time
              - k8s.pod.uid
              - k8s.replicaset.uid
              - k8s.replicaset.name
              - k8s.deployment.uid
              - k8s.deployment.name
              - k8s.daemonset.uid
              - k8s.daemonset.name
              - k8s.statefulset.uid
              - k8s.statefulset.name
              - k8s.cronjob.name
              - k8s.job.uid
              - k8s.job.name
              - k8s.node.name
              - k8s.cluster.uid
              - container.image.name
              - container.image.tag
              - container.id
            annotations:
              - tag_name: service.name
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.namespace
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.namespace
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.version
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.version
                from: pod
              - tag_name: service.instance.id
                key: resource.opentelemetry.io/service.instance.id
                from: pod
            labels:
              - tag_name: kube_app_name
                key: app.kubernetes.io/name
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_instance
                key: app.kubernetes.io/instance
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_version
                key: app.kubernetes.io/version
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_component
                key: app.kubernetes.io/component
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_part_of
                key: app.kubernetes.io/part-of
                from: pod
              - tag_name: kube_app_managed_by
                key: app.kubernetes.io/managed-by
                from: pod
          pod_association:
              - sources:
                  - from: resource_attribute
                    name: k8s.pod.ip
              - sources:
                  - from: resource_attribute
                    name: k8s.pod.uid
              - sources:
                  - from: connection
        resource/k8s-events:
          attributes:
            - key: service.name
              value: "k8s-events"
              action: upsert
      receivers:
        otlp:
          protocols:
            http:
              endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:4318
            grpc:
              endpoint: ${env:MY_POD_IP}:4317
        k8s_cluster:
          auth_type: serviceaccount
          collection_interval: 60s
          node_conditions_to_report: [
            ready, 
            memorypressure, 
            diskpressure, 
            pidpressure, 
            networkunavailable ]
          resource_attributes:
            k8s.container.status.last_terminated_reason:
              enabled: true
          metrics:
            k8s.pod.status_reason:
              enabled: true
            k8s.node.condition:
              enabled: true
          allocatable_types_to_report: [ 
            cpu, 
            memory, 
            ephemeral-storage, 
            storage ]
        k8sobjects:
          objects:
            - name: events
              mode: pull
              interval: 60s
              group: events.k8s.io
            - name: deployments
              mode: pull
              interval: 60s
              group: deployments.k8s.io
            - name: resourcequotas
              mode: pull
              interval: 60s
              group: resourcequotas.k8s.io
      service:
        extensions: [ oauth2client, zpages, health_check ]
        pipelines:
          traces:
            receivers: [ otlp]
            processors: [ batch, resource, resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          logs:
            receivers: [ otlp ]
            processors: [ batch, resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14, debug ]
          logs/k8s-events:
            receivers: [ k8sobjects]
            processors: [ 
              memory_limiter, 
              batch, 
              resource/k8s-events, 
              resourcedetection/eks, 
              resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          logs/k8s-cluster:
            receivers: [ k8s_cluster ]
            processors: [ 
              memory_limiter, 
              batch, 
              resource/k8s, 
              resourcedetection/eks, 
              resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          metrics:
            receivers: [ otlp ]
            processors: [ memory_limiter, batch, resource/env ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
          metrics/k8s:
            receivers: [ k8s_cluster ]
            processors: [ 
              memory_limiter, 
              batch, 
              resource/k8s, 
              resourcedetection/eks, 
              resource/env, 
              k8sattributes ]
            exporters: [ otlphttp/base14 ]
        telemetry:
          logs:
            level: warn
            encoding: json

Scout helm chart uses the above configuration to configure the Scout Collector

1. Collects logs for the current cluster(for Managed nodes only).
2. Sends k8s events data.
3. Sends node and pods metrics data.
4. Sends apps metrics data for the configured app endpoints.
5. Sets up a local otlp endpoint for apps to send traces which are then forwarded to Scout.

Related Guides

• Scout Exporter Configuration - Configure authentication to send data to Scout
• Advanced Collector Configuration - Customize your collector setup
• AWS ECS/Fargate Setup - Alternative container deployment option

Learn More

• Why Unified Observability Matters - Benefits for growing engineering teams