PowerShell Usage

If you’re using KubeBuddy via PowerShell, this guide will help you monitor and analyze your Kubernetes clusters. Below are detailed instructions and examples for various commands.

🔧 Prerequisites

Before running KubeBuddy, ensure you:

Are connected to a Kubernetes cluster/context.
Have kubectl installed and configured.
Have Azure CLI (az cli) installed if using AKS features.
Are logged into Azure and using the correct subscription for AKS monitoring.

Available Commands

The following table provides a quick reference for KubeBuddy commands:

Action	Command Example
Run KubeBuddy	`Invoke-KubeBuddy`
Generate an HTML report	`Invoke-KubeBuddy -HtmlReport`
Generate a text report	`Invoke-KubeBuddy -txtReport`
Run a KubeBuddy with an AKS Best Practices Check	`Invoke-KubeBuddy -aks -SubscriptionId <subscriptionID> -ResourceGroup <resourceGroup> -ClusterName <clusterName>`
Run AKS best practices check and HTML report	`Invoke-KubeBuddy -HtmlReport -aks -SubscriptionId $SubscriptionId -ResourceGroup $ResourceGroup -ClusterName $ClusterName`
Run AKS best practices check and text report	`Invoke-KubeBuddy -txtReport -aks -SubscriptionId $SubscriptionId -ResourceGroup $ResourceGroup -ClusterName $ClusterName`

1. Running KubeBuddy

To run KubeBuddy on your Kubernetes cluster:

Invoke-KubeBuddy

This command provides a detailed menu-driven interface that allows you to navigate through various monitoring options. It analyzes node status, resource usage, workloads, and RBAC security settings. The interactive menu lets you explore different categories, such as pod health, event summaries, and networking insights, making it easier to assess and troubleshoot your Kubernetes cluster.

2. Running KubeBuddy with an AKS Practices Check

To run KubeBuddy on your cluster and be able to run the AKS Best Practices Check:

Invoke-KubeBuddy -aks -SubscriptionId <subscriptionID> -ResourceGroup <resourceGroup> -ClusterName <clusterName>

Making sure you supply your subscription ID the Resource Group name where the AKS cluster lives, and also the cluster Name. With out these details you will not be able to run the AKS best Practices Check.

3. Generating Reports

To generate an HTML report:

Invoke-KubeBuddy -HtmlReport

Screenshot of KubeBuddy HTML Report

View Sample HTML Report

For a text-based report:

Invoke-KubeBuddy -txtReport

Screenshot of KubeBuddy Text Report

View Sample txt Report

4. Running an AKS Health Check alongside the HTML report

To check best practices for an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster, ensure you are logged into Azure and using the correct subscription:

az login
az account set --subscription <subscription-id>
Invoke-KubeBuddy -HtmlReport -aks -SubscriptionId $SubscriptionId -ResourceGroup $ResourceGroup -ClusterName $ClusterName

Screenshot of KubeBuddy HTML + AKS Report

View Sample HTML Report

5. Running an AKS Health Check alongside the txt report

To check best practices for an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster, ensure you are logged into Azure and using the correct subscription:

az login
az account set --subscription <subscription-id>
Invoke-KubeBuddy -txtReport -aks -SubscriptionId $SubscriptionId -ResourceGroup $ResourceGroup -ClusterName $ClusterName

Screenshot of KubeBuddy Text Report

View Sample text Report

6. Configuring Thresholds

KubeBuddy supports customizable thresholds via the kubebuddy-config.yaml file. You can place this file in ~/.kube/kubebuddy-config.yaml or specify a custom path. A sample configuration looks like this:

thresholds:
  cpu_warning: 50
  cpu_critical: 75
  mem_warning: 50
  mem_critical: 75
  restarts_warning: 3
  restarts_critical: 5
  pod_age_warning: 15
  pod_age_critical: 40
  stuck_job_hours: 2
  failed_job_hours: 2
  event_errors_warning: 10
  event_errors_critical: 20
  event_warnings_warning: 50
  event_warnings_critical: 100

Adjust these values to suit your environment’s needs. If kubebuddy-config.yaml is missing, KubeBuddy uses default threshold values.

7. Additional Parameters

Below are optional parameters you can use with Invoke-KubeBuddy:

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`-OutputPath`	String	`$HOME\kubebuddy-report`	Folder where report files are saved. If not present, KubeBuddy creates it automatically.
`-Aks`	Switch	(N/A)	Runs AKS best practices checks. Requires `-SubscriptionId`, `-ResourceGroup`, `-ClusterName`.
`-SubscriptionId`	String	(None)	Azure subscription ID (used with `-Aks`).
`-ResourceGroup`	String	(None)	Azure resource group (used with `-Aks`).
`-ClusterName`	String	(None)	AKS cluster name (used with `-Aks`).
`-HtmlReport`	Switch	(N/A)	Generates an HTML report in `$OutputPath\kubebuddy-report.html`.
`-txtReport`	Switch	(N/A)	Generates a text report in `$OutputPath\kubebuddy-report.txt`.

✅ Next Steps: Explore more commands in the PowerShell Usage Guide.