DZone
Thanks for visiting DZone today,
Edit Profile
  • Manage Email Subscriptions
  • How to Post to DZone
  • Article Submission Guidelines
Sign Out View Profile
  • Post an Article
  • Manage My Drafts
Over 2 million developers have joined DZone.
Log In / Join
Please enter at least three characters to search
Refcards Trend Reports
Events Video Library
Refcards
Trend Reports

Events

View Events Video Library

Zones

Culture and Methodologies Agile Career Development Methodologies Team Management
Data Engineering AI/ML Big Data Data Databases IoT
Software Design and Architecture Cloud Architecture Containers Integration Microservices Performance Security
Coding Frameworks Java JavaScript Languages Tools
Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance Deployment DevOps and CI/CD Maintenance Monitoring and Observability Testing, Tools, and Frameworks
Culture and Methodologies
Agile Career Development Methodologies Team Management
Data Engineering
AI/ML Big Data Data Databases IoT
Software Design and Architecture
Cloud Architecture Containers Integration Microservices Performance Security
Coding
Frameworks Java JavaScript Languages Tools
Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance
Deployment DevOps and CI/CD Maintenance Monitoring and Observability Testing, Tools, and Frameworks

Modernize your data layer. Learn how to design cloud-native database architectures to meet the evolving demands of AI and GenAI workkloads.

Secure your stack and shape the future! Help dev teams across the globe navigate their software supply chain security challenges.

Releasing software shouldn't be stressful or risky. Learn how to leverage progressive delivery techniques to ensure safer deployments.

Avoid machine learning mistakes and boost model performance! Discover key ML patterns, anti-patterns, data strategies, and more.

Related

  • Mastering Advanced Traffic Management in Multi-Cloud Kubernetes: Scaling With Multiple Istio Ingress Gateways
  • A Guide to Container Runtimes
  • Java's Quiet Revolution: Thriving in the Serverless Kubernetes Era
  • Overview of Telemetry for Kubernetes Clusters: Enhancing Observability and Monitoring

Trending

  • Google Cloud Document AI Basics
  • Emerging Data Architectures: The Future of Data Management
  • GDPR Compliance With .NET: Securing Data the Right Way
  • How to Build Scalable Mobile Apps With React Native: A Step-by-Step Guide
  1. DZone
  2. Software Design and Architecture
  3. Containers
  4. Kubernetes Add-On Setup: A Step-by-Step Guide to Node Problem Detector

Kubernetes Add-On Setup: A Step-by-Step Guide to Node Problem Detector

Ensure Kubernetes cluster health with NPD. This guide walks you through setting up NPD to detect node issues like kernel errors and resource exhaustion.

By 
Sai Sandeep Ogety user avatar
Sai Sandeep Ogety
DZone Core CORE ·
Nov. 25, 24 · Tutorial
Likes (28)
Comment
Save
Tweet
Share
1.4K Views

Join the DZone community and get the full member experience.

Join For Free

Kubernetes is a robust system, but maintaining its health is crucial for consistent performance. Node Problem Detector (NPD), a Kubernetes add-on, is designed to identify and address node-level issues like kernel errors, filesystem corruption, or resource exhaustion. This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of setting up NPD in your Kubernetes cluster.

What Is Node Problem Detector?

Node Problem Detector (NPD) is a DaemonSet that runs on every node in a Kubernetes cluster to monitor system health. It integrates with Kubernetes to report issues as Node Conditions, Events, or Metrics, enabling early detection and resolution of potential problems.

Key Features

  • Detects hardware and software issues
  • Reports node conditions to Kubernetes
  • Extends cluster monitoring capabilities
  • Supports custom problem detection configurations

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following:

  1. A running Kubernetes cluster (v1.8 or later)
  2. Access to the cluster with kubectl permissions
  3. Nodes with docker or container runtime installed
  4. Basic knowledge of Kubernetes DaemonSets

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Download the Node Problem Detector YAML File

Start by downloading the official deployment file from the Kubernetes GitHub repository:

Shell
 
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/node-problem-detector/master/config/node-problem-detector.yaml


This YAML file contains the configuration to deploy the NPD DaemonSet in your cluster.

Step 2: Customize the Node Problem Detector Configuration

NPD’s default configuration detects kernel issues, OOM (Out of Memory) kills, and disk pressure. You can extend it by customizing the configuration file embedded in the YAML.

For example, to detect filesystem corruption, add the following configuration:

YAML
 
- name: custom-config
  config: |
    kernel-messages:
      - type: "Permanent"
        condition: "CorruptFilesystem"
        reason: "FilesystemCorruptionDetected"
        message: "Filesystem corruption detected in kernel logs"
        pattern: "EXT4-fs error"


Save the changes before proceeding.

Step 3: Deploy Node Problem Detector

Deploy the NPD DaemonSet to your Kubernetes cluster using kubectl:

Shell
 
kubectl apply -f node-problem-detector.yaml


This will launch NPD on all the nodes in your cluster.

Step 4: Verify the Installation

To confirm the deployment is successful, check the status of the DaemonSet:

Shell
 
kubectl apply -f node-problem-detector.yaml


You should see something like this:

Shell
 
NAME                  DESIRED   CURRENT   READY   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   NODE SELECTOR   AGE
node-problem-detector 3         3         3       3            3           <none>          5m


Step 5: Monitor Node Conditions and Events

Once NPD is running, it will start detecting issues. Use the following commands to monitor node conditions and events:

Check Node Conditions

Look for conditions like DiskPressure, MemoryPressure, or custom conditions you’ve configured.

Shell
 
kubectl describe node <node-name>


Review Node Events

This displays a detailed log of problems detected by NPD.

Shell
 
kubectl get events --namespace kube-system


Step 6: Enable Persistent Logging (Optional)

To retain logs for long durations or integrate with external monitoring tools like Prometheus or ElasticSearch, configure persistent storage for logs:

  1. Mount a persistent volume for logs in the NPD configuration YAML.    
  2. Add an exporter for metrics, such as Prometheus Node Exporter, to scrape logs from NPD.

Step 7: Automate Notifications and Alerts

To stay proactive, integrate NPD with your monitoring system and set up automated alerts. For example, using Prometheus Alertmanager:

  • Configure Prometheus to scrape metrics from NPD:
Shell
 
- job_name: 'node-problem-detector'
  static_configs:
    - targets: ['<NPD_SERVICE>:<PORT>']


  • Define Alertmanager rules to notify on critical issues.

Common Troubleshooting

NPD Pods Not Starting

  • Check the logs of the DaemonSet:
Shell
 
kubectl logs -n kube-system <pod-name>


  • Verify that the node meets system requirements (e.g., kernel version).

Issues Not Being Detected

  • Ensure your configuration matches your environment.
  • Increase verbosity for debugging by editing the DaemonSet:
Shell
 
kubectl edit daemonset node-problem-detector -n kube-system


Conclusion

Node Problem Detector is a vital tool for maintaining node health in Kubernetes. By following this guide, you can effectively deploy and configure NPD to detect and address node-level issues. Remember to periodically review your configurations and integrate NPD with monitoring tools for automated alerts.

Kubernetes New product development

Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.

Related

  • Mastering Advanced Traffic Management in Multi-Cloud Kubernetes: Scaling With Multiple Istio Ingress Gateways
  • A Guide to Container Runtimes
  • Java's Quiet Revolution: Thriving in the Serverless Kubernetes Era
  • Overview of Telemetry for Kubernetes Clusters: Enhancing Observability and Monitoring

Partner Resources

×

Comments
Oops! Something Went Wrong

The likes didn't load as expected. Please refresh the page and try again.

ABOUT US

  • About DZone
  • Support and feedback
  • Community research
  • Sitemap

ADVERTISE

  • Advertise with DZone

CONTRIBUTE ON DZONE

  • Article Submission Guidelines
  • Become a Contributor
  • Core Program
  • Visit the Writers' Zone

LEGAL

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy

CONTACT US

  • 3343 Perimeter Hill Drive
  • Suite 100
  • Nashville, TN 37211
  • support@dzone.com

Let's be friends:

Likes
There are no likes...yet! 👀
Be the first to like this post!
It looks like you're not logged in.
Sign in to see who liked this post!