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Introducing the New TCP Health Checks - Turbocharge Your Kubernetes with Cloudders v0.3.0!

· 5 min read

In a world that's ever-evolving, Cloudders is at the forefront of Kubernetes innovation, bringing you features that enhance the way you interact with Kubernetes. We're excited to announce a brand-new enhancement to our Kubernetes Health Check Operator—a tool that’s become essential for DevOps teams managing Kubernetes deployments.

Better Service Probes with TCP Health Checks​

Our latest release, v0.3.0, introduces an update that takes our Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) to a higher level of operational excellence. Now with the ability to include http or tcp sections, you can exert more control over your health checks. And the crown jewel? The actual new tcp checks.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) health checks are crucial for applications where establishing a proper TCP connection is a definitive indicator of the application's health. Before, you might have leveraged HTTP checks even if your service was primarily TCP-based—not anymore!

Seamless Integration​

Implementing the new TCP Health Checks couldn't be easier. With just a few lines of YAML, you set up a HealthCheck that probes any TCP service. Here’s how you can quickly apply a TCP health check to your service using kubectl:

Example TCP health check
In the below example we will create a simple HealthCheck that probes TCP service on port 8080:

kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: check.cloudders.com/v1alpha1
kind: HealthCheck
metadata:
  name: service-8080
spec:
  tcp:
    ipv4: "127.0.0.1"
    port: 8080
EOF

Free Feature for Our Community​

One of the cornerstones of Cloudders is our commitment to the community. That's why we're particularly proud that this new feature isn't just powerful—it's also free. We believe that robust health checks should be accessible to every Kubernetes user, and price should never be a barrier to high performance.

Since the feature is widely available with the release of version v0.3.0, there's no wait time. You can start enhancing your Kubernetes operations with these awesome TCP Health Checks immediately.

Why TCP Health Checks Matter​

TCP checks open a direct line to the more nuanced aspects of your applications. An HTTP check might return a 200 OK status even when underlying TCP-dependent services are struggling. With direct TCP probes, you catch issues that HTTP checks might miss—before they escalate.

Imagine ensuring that your database, running on a non-HTTP protocol, is connected correctly, or confirming that your message broker on a custom TCP protocol is up and running without a hitch. TCP Health checks are more than just an update—they're an essential layer of insight.

Streamlined CRD Upgrade for Enhanced Health Checks​

While we're introducing an exciting new feature with the TCP health checks, it's important to note that an upgrade path is required for existing Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs). For those who've been with us thus far, your existing CRDs might look like this:

apiVersion: check.cloudders.com/v1alpha1
kind: HealthCheck
metadata:
  name: cloudders-docs-configuration
spec:
  url: "https://cloudders.com/docs/configuration/notificationrule"
  testInterval: 60
  searchFor:
    string: "on this documentation page"

In the above configuration, the health check is defined with a straightforward url field. With v0.3.0, we've refined our CRDs by adding new map fields http or tcp to better categorize and set up your health probes. The new CRD structure is more expressive and aligns with the Kubernetes standards for similar resource types.

Here's an example of what the new CRD should look like with an HTTP check:

apiVersion: check.cloudders.com/v1alpha1
kind: HealthCheck
metadata:
  name: cloudders-docs-configuration
spec:
  http:
    url: "https://cloudders.com/docs/configuration/notificationrule"
    testInterval: 60
    searchFor:
      string: "on this documentation page"

Note the introduction of the http field which now encompasses the url and searchFor properties. This change is not just cosmetic; it allows for greater flexibility and paves the way for more protocol-specific checks like our new TCP feature.

What You Need to Do​

To take advantage of the new tcp and updated http health checks, users will need to update their CRDs to the new format. Here are the key steps:

  1. Review your existing HealthCheck CRDs.
  2. Adjust the spec to include either http or tcp fields, depending on the type of check you are implementing.
  3. Apply the updated HealthCheck CRD to your cluster.

We understand that changes to CRDs can be a significant move for many of our users, and we're here to help! Feel free to reach out to us if you encounter any issues.

Cloudders is dedicated to making your transition to v0.3.0 as smooth as possible. With this upgrade, your health checking will not only be more robust but also more intuitive, aligning with best practices that the Kubernetes community expects and respects.

Get Started Now!​

We at Cloudders are committed to providing you with industry-leading tools and features that make your Kubernetes management as straightforward and effective as possible. The introduction of TCP health checks in our Health Check Operator v0.3.0 is just another step towards that commitment.

So why wait? Embrace the new capabilities of your Kubernetes platform right away and set up your first TCP health check today. Visit Cloudders's official documentation for more on how to get started with our latest features, and join the ranks of Kubernetes users who are step ahead in their operations game.

Thank you for entrusting your Kubernetes operations to Cloudders. We're excited to see how our latest features will propel your applications to greater reliability and performance!