Introducing Custom Resource Support in KubeKanvas: Extend Your Kubernetes Definitions

We're excited to announce a powerful new feature in KubeKanvas that brings even more flexibility to your Kubernetes workflow: Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and Custom Resources (CRs) support! This enhancement allows you to work with both standard Kubernetes resources and your own custom-defined resources, all within the intuitive KubeKanvas visual interface.

What Are Custom Resources?

Custom Resources extend the Kubernetes API to store and retrieve structured data. While Kubernetes comes with built-in resources like Pods, Services, and Deployments, Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) allow you to define your own resource types that fit your specific application needs.

Two Ways to Work with CRDs in KubeKanvas

1. User-Defined CRDs: Create Your Own

With KubeKanvas, you can now create your own Custom Resource Definitions directly in the visual editor. Design your custom resources with:

• Custom fields and properties tailored to your application
• Validation schemas to ensure data integrity
• Multiple versions to support API evolution
• Namespaced or cluster-scoped resources based on your needs

The best part? When you create a release in KubeKanvas, your user-defined CRDs are automatically deployed to your cluster alongside your other resources. No additional setup required!

2. External CRDs: Import from the Ecosystem

The Kubernetes ecosystem is rich with existing CRDs from popular operators and tools. KubeKanvas now supports importing external CRDs by simply providing a URL to the CRD definition. This means you can:

• Import CRDs from operators like Argo-CD, Istio, or Prometheus
• Use community-maintained CRDs from GitHub repositories
• Work with third-party tools that extend Kubernetes functionality

Note: External CRDs need to be installed in your cluster separately, as KubeKanvas focuses on visualization and management rather than operator installation.

Visual Custom Resource Management

Once you have CRDs in your workspace (whether user-defined or external), you can:

• Create Custom Resources with an intuitive form-based interface
• Visualize relationships between custom resources and standard Kubernetes objects
• Edit configurations using dynamic forms generated from your CRD schemas
• Export everything as production-ready YAML

Real-World Use Cases

This new capability opens up countless possibilities:

• Service Mesh: Work with Istio CRDs to define traffic policies and security rules
• Monitoring: Use Prometheus Operator CRDs to set up monitoring and alerting
• Custom Applications: Define your own resource types for multi-tenant applications, game servers, or specialized workloads

Getting Started

Ready to try Custom Resources in KubeKanvas? Here's how:

1. For User-Defined CRDs: Use the new CRD option in the resource toolbar to create your own custom resource definitions
2. For External CRDs: Simply paste a URL to any publicly available CRD (like those from GitHub repositories or operator documentation)
3. Create Custom Resources: Once you have CRDs in your workspace, create instances of your custom resources with ease

The Future of Kubernetes Visualization

This update represents our commitment to supporting the full Kubernetes ecosystem within KubeKanvas. As the Kubernetes landscape continues to evolve with more operators and custom resources, KubeKanvas evolves with it, ensuring you can visualize and manage any Kubernetes configuration.

Whether you're building cloud-native applications, managing complex microservices, or working with specialized Kubernetes operators, KubeKanvas now provides the visual tools you need to work confidently with Custom Resources.

Ready to explore Custom Resources? Update to the latest version of KubeKanvas and start building with the full power of the Kubernetes API at your fingertips.

Have questions or feedback about the new Custom Resource support? Reach out to our team – we'd love to hear how you're using this feature in your Kubernetes workflows!