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Get Kestrel AI up and running in your Kubernetes cluster in just a few steps.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • Kubernetes cluster (v1.24+)
  • kubectl configured to access your cluster
  • helm (v3.0+) installed
  • Admin access to create namespaces and deploy operators

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Optional Integrations

For enhanced functionality:
  • Cilium: For L3/L4 network flow collection
  • Istio: For L7 traffic analysis and authorization policies

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Step 1: Sign Up for Kestrel AI

  1. Visit platform.usekestrel.ai
  2. Create your account
  3. Create your tenant

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Step 2: Onboard Your Cluster

  1. Navigate to Clusters in the dashboard
  2. Click Add Cluster
  3. Provide a name for your cluster
  4. Choose your traffic data source:
    • Cilium for L3/L4 flows
    • Istio for L7 access logs
    • None for basic resource monitoring only

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Step 3: Install the Kestrel Operator

Copy the generated Helm command from the onboarding page and run it: 
helm install kestrel-operator \
  oci://ghcr.io/kestrelai/charts/kestrel-operator \
  --version 0.1.0 \
  --namespace kestrel-ai \
  --create-namespace \
  -f kestrel-ai-operator-values-<your-cluster>.yaml
The values file contains your unique cluster credentials and configuration.

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Step 4: Verify Installation

Check that the operator is running: 
kubectl get pods -n kestrel-ai
You should see: 
NAME                                READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
kestrel-operator-xxxxx-xxxxx       1/1     Running   0          1m

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Step 5: View Your Cluster

Return to the Kestrel dashboard. Within a few minutes, you should see:
  • Your cluster appearing as “Connected”
  • Resources being discovered and displayed
  • Network traffic flows (if Cilium/Istio is configured)

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What’s Next?

Now that your cluster is connected:

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Troubleshooting

Having issues? Check our Troubleshooting Guide or contact support at [email protected].